DUKE  UNIVERSITY 


LIBRARY 


The  Glenn  Negley  Collection 
of  Utopian  Literature 


DUKE 

UNIVERSITY 

LIBRARY 

T^reasure  %oom 

w  X  V^'^  j-n. 

(A  ©ab  of  ICawp) 

BY 

HIRAM  W.  HAYES 

Jluthor  of 

'  Paul  Anthony,   Christian, "    "  The    ^^Can  of  Clay, 

"Bible  Stories  Tietold,"  etc. 


THE 

HARMONY   SHOP 

PUBLISHERS   OF  GOOD   BOOKS 

BOSTON         .         MASS. 


Copyright  1909,  by  Reid  Publishing  Company 

Registered  at  Stationers'  Hall 
London,  England 


All  rights  reserved 


QI0  lig  Mxti 

Withotd  whose  loving  thought  and  kindly  aid  this  book 

would  he  devoid  of  much  that  we  hope  will  help  in 

bringing   about  that  universal   and  lasting 

Peace   which   is    the    birthright    of 

every  child  of  God,  this  volume 

is  affectionately  dedicated. 

HiKAM  W.  Hates. 


Digitized  by  tine  Internet  Archive 
in  2010  witii  funding  from 
Duke  University  Libraries 


littp://www.arcliive.org/details/peacemakerstaleoOOIiaye 


CONTENTS 


Book  I 

A    THEOREM 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I    Thinking  War 1 

II    Reciproca 19 


III 

Law  and  Practice     .     .     . 

.       42 

IV 

The  Lees 

59 

V 

Tempted  

81 

VI 

The    Beginning    of   Under 

standing 

.       93 

VII 

Making  for  Peace    .     .     . 
Book  II 

A    DEMONSTRATION 

.     109 

I 

Historical  and  Otherwise 

.     127 

II 

Lady  Judith's  First  Lesson 

152 

III 

In  the  Wilderness  .     .     . 

.     173 

IV 

Old  Friends  Meet  .     .     .     . 

185 

V 

The  Mark  of  the  Beast  . 

199 

VI 

Blessings  in  Disguise  .     . 

.     212 

VII 

Sowing  the  Wind     .     .     . 

227 

VIII 

The  Fury  of  Mortal  Mind  . 

244 

IX 

A  Note  of  Peace       .     .     . 

258 

X. 

CONTENTS 

CHAPTER 

PAGE 

X 

Arranging  A  Truce      .     . 

265 

XI 

The  Dawning  of  the  First 

Day 

272 

XII 

Breaking  Prison  Bars       .     , 

280 

XIII 

After  the  Manner  of  Men  . 

289 

XIV 

Manacled 

298 

XV 

Planting  the  Seed   .     .     . 

.     311 

XVI 

The  Leaven  Working  .     . 

327 

XVII 

A  House  Divided      .     .     . 

.     342 

XVIII 

On  the  Road  to  Damascus 

353 

XIX 

The  Conscience  of  the  King    364 

XX 

He  that  Keepeth  Israel  . 

384 

XXI 

God  Giveth  the  Increase 

Book  III 
a  corollary 

397 

Thinking  Peace 

413 

BOOK     ONE 


A  THEOREM 


"Blessed  are  the  peacemakers;  for  they  shall  be  called  the 
children  of  God."  —  Jesus 


The  Peacemakers 


CHAPTER  I 

THINKING   WAR 

At  seven  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  June  20  Andy 
Morris,  American  marine,  standing  in  front  of  the 
legation  in  Peking,  said  to  Otto  Stumpf,  German 
marine,  as  he  was  passing  down  Legation  street: 

"Tonight!     Seven  o'clock!     Choisel's!" 

"Da?"  asked  Otto  Stumpf,  pointing  with  his  Mauser 
to  where  Mme.  Choisel  could  be  seen  in  the  rear  of 
the  cafe  arranging  her  loaves  of  freshly  baked  bread. 

"Yah!"  replied  Andy  Morris,  using  the  only  German 
word  he  knew.     "And  be  sure  and  be  there!" 

"All  right!"  replied  Otto  Stumpf,  while  a  broad 
German  smile  spread  itself  over  his  face. 

At  seven  o'clock  that  night  Andy  Morris  was  nursing 
a  wounded  leg  in  the  temporary  hospital  in  the  British 
legation,  while  the  body  of  Otto  Stumpf  lay  stark  and 
cold  in  the  smoking  ruins  across  the  street. 

During  the  intervening  twelve  hours.  Baron  von 
Ketteler,  the  German  ambassador  to  China,  had  been 
treacherously  assassinated  and  his  secretary  badly 
wounded;  the  women  and  children  of  all  the  foreign 
legations  had  been  removed  to  the  British  legation  and 
the  surrounding  compound  barricaded;  other  legation 
buildings  had  been  abandoned,  some  entirely,  and  the 

1 


2  THE  PEACEIVIAKERS 

Chinese  government  had  apparently  thrown  off  all 
restraint  and  opened  fire  upon  the  diplomatic  corps  of 
the  various  nations,  thereby  precipitating  the  wai 
which  was  the  culmination  of  the  memorable  Boxei 
uprising  that  began  the  century. 

But  during  the  progress  of  all  these  events;  during 
the  surprises  and  alarms;  during  the  fighting  and 
bloodshed  of  the  two  months  siege  which  followed, 
Mme.  Choisel,  undisturbed  by  the  attacks  and  bom- 
bardments, continued  her  baking — furnishinc;  bread  to 
those  beleagured  in  the  barricades  of  the  legation, 
while  the  allied  forces  of  the  great  powers  fought  their 
way  into  Tien-tsin  and  up  to  and  through  the  walls  of 
Peking. 

From  this  simple  and  historical  fact  it  may  be  inferred 
that  Mme.  Choisel  was  a  remarkable  woman;  and  the 
inference  is  quite  correct. 

Mme.  Choisel  was  a  remarkable  woman;  as  every 
one  in  Peking  during  that  terrible  time  will  not  only 
admit  but  affirm.  She  was  remarkable,  because  she 
was  different  from  other  women.  She  was  remarkable 
because  she  was  given  to  action  rather  than  words. 
She  was  remarkable  because  she  was  absolutely  devoid 
of  what  we  are  pleased  to  term  fear  and  she  was  remark- 
able because,  in  spite  of  all  her  masculine  qualities, 
she  was  not  only  a  young  and  handsome  woman,  she 
was  a  most  refined  and  lovable  woman.  Such  an 
admixture  of  masculinity  and  femininity  must  of 
necessity  be  remarkable,  and  Mme.  Choisel  was  all 
that  might  be  expected  or  that  the  word  implies. 

Had  you  known  IVIme.  Choisel  in  her  girlhood, 
when  she  was  playing  tennis  and  golf  on  the  links  of 


THINKING  WAR  S 

the  Country  Club  in  Kansas  City;  or  riding  with  a 
party  of  tourists  through  the  canyons  of  Colorado,  or 
swimming  in  the  surf  at  Coronado  Beach,  you  would 
not  have  thought  her  vastly  different  from  dozens  of 
other  robust  American  girls  whom  you  meet  every  day. 
It  was  not  till  she  married  M.  Choisel  and  went  with 
him  to  Peking,  where  he  assumed  charge  of  the  busi- 
ness of  a  large  Belgium  concessionaire,  that  her  remark- 
able qualities  became  apparent.  And  even  then  they 
might  not  have  become  known,  but  for  the  events  so 
briefly  alluded  to  and  others  leading  up  to  them;  for  it 
was  in  the  earlier  days  of  the  uprising,  when  the  Boxers 
were  slaying  foreigners  and  Christian  missionaries 
outside  of  Peking,  and  even  within  its  walls,  that  Mme. 
Choisel  first  came  into  public  notice.  In  company 
with  several  men  she  seized  a  rifle  and  helped  to  rescue 
a  family  that  had  been  attacked  by  Boxers.  When 
they  had  all  been  brought  safely  within  the  legation 
precincts,  she  laid  aside  her  rifle  and  resumed  her 
baking  as  though  nothing  had  happened. 

Mme.  Choisel  was  not  only  a  lovable  woman;  she 
was  a  loving  woman.  She  loved  her  husband;  she 
loved  her  friends;  she  would  have  loved  her  children 
if  she  had  had  any;  and,  being  a  Christian  woman,  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  church,  she  tried  to  love  her 
enemies  —  and  would  doubtless  have  succeeded  if  she 
had  known  how. 

There  was  but  one  thing  on  earth  she  did  not  and 
would  not  try  to  love,  and  that  was  a  Chinaman. 

"The  Chinese  are  your  neighbors,"  said  the  wife  of 
the  American  minister  to  her  one  day,  "and  we  are 
taught  to  love  our  neighbors  as  ourselves." 


4  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"Neighbors  indeed!"  replied  Mme.  Choisel  with  an 
unutterable  look  of  scorn  as  she  indicated  with  a  toss 
of  her  regal  head  a  group  of  Chinamen  gathered  out- 
side the  walls.  "They  are  more  like  the  thieves  among 
whom  the  traveler  fell  on  his  way  down  to  Jericho. 
I  refuse  to  recognize  them." 

"But,"  said  the  minister's  wife,  "you  should  recog- 
nize man — not  as  the  embodiment  of  cruelty,  hatred, 
lust, — all  error,  but  as  an  idea  of  God  with  power  to 
reflect  Truth  and  Love." 

"It's  all  very  well  for  you  to  say  that,"  replied  Mme. 
Choisel,  "because  you  seem  to  look  at  things  differently 
from  everyone  else." 

"I  am  trying  to  look  with  the  eyes  of  Love,"  was 
the  reply. 

But  Mme.  Choisel  was  not  convinced  and  continued 
to  regard  the  Chinese  as  fiends  incarnate,  who  were 
only  awaiting  an  opportunity  to  kill  and  destroy:  and 
the  events  on  that  twentieth  day  of  June  not  only 
seemed  to  confirm  her  belief,  but  the  belief  of  most  of 
the  civilized  world. 

Not  having  children  of  her  own  to  love  and  bring 
up,  Mme.  Choisel  was  always  pouring  out  her  affec- 
tions upon  the  children  of  others,  and  every  child  in 
all  the  legations  likewise  knew  and  loved  ]Vime.  Choisel 
— not  only  on  account  of  the  tray  of  cakes  that  she 
kept  hidden  away  in  the  big  drawer,  but  on  her  own 
account;  for  has  it  not  been  said  that  Mme.  Choisel 
was  a  lovable  woman:  and  when  little  children  love 
one,  it  is  pretty  safe  to  assume  that  such  an  one  is  all 
right  inside.     Children  are  like  barometers.     None  are 


THINKING  WAR  5 


so  free  from  wrong,  none  so  receptive  to  right, — so 
quick  to  reflect  back  the  love  which  is  real  and  sincere. 

One  of  the  earliest  atrocities  of  the  Boxer  uprising 
and  one  which  occurred  during  those  days  when  the 
great  powers  were  unwilling  to  believe  that  the  govern- 
ment would  not  be  able  to  protect  foreigners,  was  the 
attack  upon  the  mission  near  Ping-yang  between  Tien- 
tsin and  Peking.  It  was  a  dastardly  and  brutal 
slaughter;  and  although  the  members  of  the  little  band 
defended  themselves  as  best  they  could,  they  were 
unable  to  hold  out  until  succor,  summoned  from 
Peking  by  a  trusty  convert,  could  reach  them.  The 
small  party  of  marines  sent  to  their  aid,  arrived  just 
as  the  last  man  had  been  cut  down,  and  succeeded  in 
saving  only  a  woman  and  her  six-year-old  son — who 
escaped  from  the  general  slaughter  as  by  a  miracle 
and  yet  in  a  manner  so  simple  as  to  preclude  all  sense 
of  the  miraculous. 

The  woman  was  Mrs.  Malcolm  Winslow,  wife  of  a 
young  clergyman.  The  final  attack  at  Ping-yang  had 
been  made  early  in  the  morning,  while  her  little  son, 
Jack,  was  asleep.  Leaving  the  child  on  the  second 
floor,  Mrs,  Winslow  had  rushed  downstairs  just  as  the 
Boxers  succeeded  in  breaking  into  the  compound. 
Ten  minutes  later,  when  she  saw  her  husband  fall, 
she  had  hastened  back  to  her  sleeping  child,  and  with 
him  clasped  in  her  arms  was  calmly  awaiting  her  fate 
when  the  marines  rushed  in  and  intercepted  the  mur- 
derers just  as  they  were  starting  up  the  stairs.  Of  all 
in  the  mission,  Mrs.  Winslow  and  her  child  alone  were 
saved;  and  but  for  the  sleeping  child,  whose  presence 


6  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

had  called  the  mother  back  up  the  stairs,  it  is  probable 
that  Mrs.  Winslow  would  have  met  a  similar  fate. 

The  mother  and  child  were  conveyed  to  Peking  and, 
as  the  American  legation  was  crowded,  Mme.  Choisel, 
with  her  big  heart,  had  taken  them  in. 

John — his  mother  persisted  in  calling  him  John  in 
spite  of  his  tender  years,  and  in  spite  of  the  fact 
that  everyone  else  called  him  Jack — was  not  in  any 
sense  a  remarkable  child.  He  looked  much  like  most 
brown-eyed  chubby  boys  of  that  age,  and  he  took 
about  the  same  interest  in  the  things  going  on  around 
him  as  do  most  other  children.  If  Mme.  Choisel 
wanted  to  display  her  sympathy  and  affection  for  him 
by  taking  him  up  in  her  arms  and  kissing  him,  he  made 
no  strenuous  objections.  If  she  preferred  showing  her 
feelings  by  giving  him  an  eclair  he  accepted  that 
with  much  the  same  spirit  that  he  had  the  hugging. 
He  liked  to  watch  Mme.  Choisel  superintending  her 
baking  and  occasionally  administering  a  cuff  to  some 
careless  coolie — and  he  liked  to  watch  the  marines 
drill  up  and  down  Legation  street.  He  loved  every- 
body and  everybody  loved  him;  but  his  one  absorbing 
love  was  his  mother.  When  he  could  be  with  her 
he  was  happy,  despite  the  fact  that  for  some  time  he 
grieved  for  his  father,  whose  absence  he  could  not 
understand. 

"Why  didn't  Papa  come  with  us?"  he  asked  the 
first  day  they  arrived  at  Peking  after  the  tragedy. 

"Papa  has  work  to  do  in  another  place,  darling," 
the  mother  replied  gently. 

"Then  why  can't  we  stay  there?  I  don't  like  to  be 
away  from  Papa." 


THINKING  WAR  7 

•'There  is  no  separation,  my  child,"  was  the  whis- 
pered response. 

The  boy  looked  at  her  in  surprise,  but  said  nothing. 
He  did  not  know  what  she  meant,  but  he  saw  that 
she  was  busy  with  hu'  thoughts,  and  he  had  learned 
when  mamma  was  thus  thinking  not  to  interrupt  her. 
The  child  might  not  have  been  so  easily  satisfied  but 
for  the  fact  that  during  his  brief  life,  he  had  seen  very 
little  of  his  father.  He  had  come  into  this  world  but 
a  few  months  before  his  parents  left  Massachusetts  for 
China,  and  from  the  day  of  his  birth  his  mother  had 
been  sick.  She  was  barely  able  to  accompany  her 
husband  to  the  field  of  his  labors,  and  after  eighteen 
months  at  the  mission  she  had  become  so  ill  that  it 
was  decided  that  the  only  way  to  save  her  life  was  to  send 
her  back  to  the  United  States.  Her  husband  accom- 
panied her  to  Tien-tsin  and  when  he  kissed  her  good- 
bye on  the  steamship  which  was  to  take  her  to  San 
Francisco,  he  had  but  a  faint  hope  of  ever  seeing  her 
again. 

Because  of  the  illness  of  his  wife,  the  child  had 
received  but  little  of  Mr.  Winslow's  attention,  and 
when  she  asked  what  he  would  do  with  little  John  in 
case  she  did  not  get  well  he  had  replied:  "I  had  not 
thought  of  that,  but  I  suppose  the  best  place  for  him 
is  with  your  folks.  My  work  is  to  try  and  save  these 
poor  benighted  heathen,  and  this  is  certainly  no  place 
to  bring  up  a  child,  even  if  I  had  the  time  to  look  after 
him." 

"Don't  you  think  your  child  has  some  claim  upon 
your  time,  Malc^^im  ?" 

"Oh,  yes,  to  be  sure.     But  my  first  work  is  to  save 


^ 


THE  PEACEMAKERS 


these  poor  souls.  Let  us  hope  that  you  will  get  better, 
if  not  for  my  sake,  for  the  child's." 

"Amen!"  said  the  wife  under  her  breath. 

It  was  a  long  voyage  and  a  tedious  one  across  the 
Pacific.  But  the  mother  love  sustained  her,  and  upon 
her  arrival  in  San  Francisco  another  mother  love 
added  its  helpful  support;  for  the  young  wife's  parents 
had  made  the  trip  across  the  continent  to  meet  and 
care  for  her  and  the  little  one. 

Many  months  under  the  doctor's  care  brought  little 
or  no  relief.  Better  one  day  and  worse  the  next  was 
the  record  of  the  case,  until  at  last  the  physicians 
declared  themselves  baffled.  Nothing  more  could  be 
suggested  in  the  way  of  drugs,  and  they  all  agreed  that 
the  only  thing  which  might  be  done  was  to  take  such 
action  as  would  make  life  as  comfortable  as  possible 
until  the  end  came 

In  this  extremity  Mrs.  Winslow  was  led  by  one  who 
had  herself  been  healed,  to  turn  more  completely  to 
God — that  God  "who  healeth  all  our  diseases" — and 
as  the  reward  of  her  greater  faith,  in  less  than  a 
month  she  was  a  well  woman.  It  was  a  wonderful 
experience  for  the  yoimg  mother.  As  she  gained  a  more 
spiritual  understanding  of  the  great  truths  of  the 
Bible — unfolded  to  her  by  her  teacher  and  friend — 
and  as  she  realized  more  completely  the  omnipotence 
of  God,  the  disease  and  pain  left  her.  Life  to  her 
became  a  joy;  and  as  she  felt  herself  growing  stronger 
day  by  day — her  whole  being  impregnated  with  that 
perfect  love  which  casteth  out  all  fear,  she  became  a 
most  ardent  student  of  God's  word  a^  revealed  in  the 
light  of  this  new  apprehension  of  Truth. 


THINKING  WAR  0 

Having  been  born  anew — born  into  "that  life  which 
maketh  all  things  new" — her  interest  in  and  love  for 
her  child  increased.  Feeling  her  responsibility  for  his 
material  existence  she  determined  that,  to  the  best  of 
her  ability,  she  would  bring  him  up  strictly  in  accor- 
dance with  this  thought  of  God  as  Life,  Truth  and 
Love;  that  she  would  teach  him  the  allness  of  God — 
of  good — and  the  nothingness  of  any  other  seeming 
power,  and  this  she  had  faithfully  done  in  keeping 
with  her  highest  understanding. 

Like  all  children,  little  Jack  had  been  quick  to  grasp 
the  truth.  His  father  being  a  clergyman  and  all  his 
living  ancestors  being  good  Congregationalists,  he  was 
accustomed  to  hear  that  "God  was  good;"  "God 
was  love;"  "God  was  everywhere;"  "God  was  all 
power;"  and  he  never  doubted  it.  And  so,  when  his 
mother  began  to  make  these  statements  practical  and 
to  show  him  if  God  were  Love;  if  He  were  everywhere; 
and  if  He  were  all-in-all,  there  was  no  place  for  evil, 
hatred  and  sickness,  the  child,  likewise,  never  doubted 
this. 

When  they  returned  to  China  some  months  before 
the  uprising,  the  father  was  rejoiced  to  see  them.  He 
listened  with  much  interest  to  the  story  of  his  wife's 
recovery  and  while  it  seemed  miraculous  to  him,  he 
was  perfectly  willing  to  admit  that  it  must  have  been 
from  God,  although  declaring  that  it  could  not  possibly 
have  been  accomplished  in  the  way  his  wife  explained. 
As  a  result,  she  ceased  to  talk  to  him  about  her 
healing  and  devoted  her  time  to  teaching  the  simple 
truths  about  God  and  man  to  her  own  child  and  the 
other  children  about  the  mission. 


10  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"If  a  child  once  sees  a  thing  proven,  it  never  ques- 
tions," she  said  to  her  husband  one  day.  "Doesn't 
it  seem  as  though  men  and  women  ought  to  be  equally 
wise  r 

"Aren't  they?"  he  asked  in  surprise. 

She  looked  at  him  quizzically  for  a  moment  before 
replying : 

"I  haven't  found  them  so,"  she  said. 

A  few  days  later  came  the  massacre  and  the  removal 
of  Mrs.  Winslow  and  her  child  to  Peking. 

It  was  now  about  a  week  after  that  memorable  twen- 
tieth of  June.  The  Chinese  government  had  thrown  ofp 
all  show  of  concealment  and  the  beleaguered  diplomats, 
barricaded  within  the  walls  they  had  constinicted  and 
fortified,  had  turned  the  British  legation  into  a  besieged 
city.  Little  Jack  was  playing  among  the  bread  baskets 
in  front  of  Mme.  Choisel's  bakeshop,  over  the  walls 
of  which  the  bullets  were  whistling.  Every  once  in  a 
while  one  would  go  "ping"  through  the  leaves  of  the 
trees  above  the  door. 

"Keep  down  close  by  the  wall.  Jack'"  said  Mme. 
Choisel  as  she  came  through  the  door  with  a  big  pan 
of  bread  in  her  hands.  "Those  yellow  devils  would 
kill  a  child  just  as  soon  as  they  would  a  man.'* 

Jack  looked  at  her  in  surprise. 

"Devils  are  error!"  he  said.  "And  man  is  like  God, 
Truth.     How  can  error  kill  the  truth  ?" 

Mme.  Choisel  stopped  with  her  pan  of  bread  held 
out  at  arm's  length.  "What  kind  of  talk  is  that  for  a 
little  boy  ?"  she  exclaimed;  and  then  under  her  breath: 
"How  can  error  kill  truth!" 

The   child   took   her  exclamation  as  a  query  and 


THINKING  WAR  11 

gravely   shaking   his   head    replied:   "It   can't,    Mme. 
Choisel!" 

"Oh,  it  can't!  And  one  of  those  bullets  can't  kill 
you  ?" 

"Not  really,  you  know!  God  is  Life  and  a  bullet 
can't  change  God!" 

"Well,  you  keep  down  here  by  the  wall,  and  don't 
you  take  any  chances!  You're  not  God,  and  I'll  not 
have  them  making  an  angel  of  you  as  long  as  I  can 
help  it,"  declared  Mme.  Choisel  emphatically. 

"You  ought  not  to  be  teaching  the  child  such  stuff 
as  that!"  she  said  to  Mrs.  Winslow  when  she  related 
the  conversation  to  her  half  an  hour  later.  "He'll  be 
putting  himself  up  as  a  mark  to  be  shot  at  the  first 
thing  you  know." 

"Do  you  think  he  can  find  any  better  protector  than 
God  during  this  terrible  trial  ?"  asked  the  mother. 

"It's  all  right  to  trust  in  God  when  we  reach  such  an 
extremity,"  said  Mme.  Choisel,  "but  as  long  as  the 
walls  stand  and  the  ammunition  holds  out  I'll  take  my 
chances  with  them." 

Some  days  later  one  of  the  Chinese  servants  came 
running  to  Mme,  Choisel  in  the  greatest  excitement 
exclaiming  in  his  pidgin  English: 

"Lilly  boy  gone!     Lilly  boy  gone!" 

"Little  boy  has  gone  where.''"  asked  Mme.  Choisel. 

"No  can  say!" 

"Well,  go  and  find  him.  Stupid!  Don't  stand  there 
chattering  like  an  ape!" 

The  servant  darted  away  just  as  one  of  the  German 
marines  made  his  appearance  at  the  bakery. 

"The  little  boy,  Fraulein,"  he  gasped.     "The  little 


12  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

boy  has  crept  through  an  opening  in  the  barricade  and 
is  outside  the  wall." 

* '  Outside  the  wall !    How  could  such  a  thing  happen  ?" 

"I  do  not  know,  Fraulein,  except  that  there  is  a 
little  opening  back  of  the  bakehouse  made  by  a  cannon 
ball.  Several  of  us  went  to  repair  it  just  now  and 
when  we  peeked  through  the  opening  there  was  the 
little  boy  out  in  the  street.  The  sergeant  and  two 
men  rushed  to  the  gate  to  bring  him  in,  but  they  may 
all  be  killed  by  this  time." 

Mme.  Choisel  waited  to  hear  no  more.  Seizing  her 
rifle,  which  she  kept  constantly  beside  her  table,  she, 
too,  started  for  the  gate.  In  her  haste  she  nearly 
upset  Mrs.  Winslow  who  was  just  coming  in  from 
the  compound  looking  for  Jack. 

"Why,  Mme.  Choisel!"  she  exclaimed  upon  seeing 
that  vigorous  young  woman  armed  as  for  battle. 
"Where  are  you  going  ?     What  has  happened  ?" 

"Your  child!"  replied  Mme.  Choisel  scarcely  halting 
long  enough  to  say  it.  "He's  outside  the  wall,  and 
I'm  going  after  him!"  and  she  disappeared  around 
the  corner  of  the  house. 

For  a  moment  the  mother  was  stunned  by  the 
startling  news;  but  quickly  regaining  her  composure 
she  sat  down  by  the  table  and  bowed  her  head  in  silent 
prayer,  realizing  that  He  who  marks  the  sparrow's 
fall,  was  not  only  able  and  v/illing  to  protect  her  little 
one,  but  was  continually  and  eternally  doing  so.  She 
knew  that  her  child  trusted  God  with  absolute  fear- 
lessness; that  his  little  heart  was  free  from  any  hatred 
toward  the  so-called  enemy  and  she  realized  that  this 


THINKING  WAR  13 

loving  thought,  this  reflection  of  divine  Love,  must 
and  would  prove  a  buckler  and  shield  to  her  child. 

While  she  thus  prayed  there  was  a  rattle  of  musketry 
without,  a  shout  and  then  silence.  The  mother's 
heart  almost  ceased  beating,  but  she  did  not  yield  to 
fear.  Again  there  was  an  exchange  of  shots  and 
before  the  sound  had  ceased,  little  Jack  came  running 
into  the  room. 

"They're  shooting  again.  Mamma,"  he  said,  "and 
the  man  told  me  to  run  in  or  I  might  get  hurt." 

The  mother  raised  her  head  and  took  the  boy  in  her 
arms  as  she  murmured:  "Father,  I  thank  Thee!" 
Then  to  the  boy:  "Tell  Mamma  all  about  it!" 

"All  about  what.  Mamma?" 

"How  you  escaped  being  hurt?" 

"Why,  Mamma,  nobody  was  going  to  hurt  me.  I 
was  playing  out  in  the  road  when  I  heard  the  guns. 
Then  a  great  big  Chinaman  with  a  big  spear  came 
nmning  along.  He  stopped  when  he  saw  me  and 
asked:  'Where  you  come  from?'  'In  there!'  I  said, 
and  I  pointed  to  the  little  hole  I  had  crawled  through. 
'You  go  right  back!'  he  said.  'Little  boy  might  get 
hurt!'  'Oh,  nobody  would  hurt  me!'  I  told  him, 
'because  I  wouldn't  hurt  nobody!'  Wasn't  that  right. 
Mamma  ?" 

"Yes,  darling!" 

"Well,  he  must  have  thought  it  funny  for  he  sort  of 
grinned  and  said:  'Can't  tell!  All  men  not  good! 
You  go  back!'  and  he  pushed  me  through  the  little 
hole.  I  didn't  know  it  was  so  little.  It  tore  a  button 
off  my  pants — see!" 


14  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

Steps  were  heard  outside  and  almost  immediately 
Mme.  Choisel  followed  by  the  Chinese  servant  appeared. 

"It's  no  use!"  she  was  saying.  "The  child  has 
disappeared — "  and  then  she  stopped  suddenly  upon 
catching  sight  of  the  little  fellow  displaying  his  torn 
trousers. 

"Jack!"  she  cried.  "Well  of  all  things!  How  did 
you  get  here  ?" 

"The  Chinaman  put  me  through  the  hole." 

"The  Chinaman.?" 

"Yes,"  said  Mrs.  Winslow,  "the  child  put  his  trust 
in  God  instead  of  the  walls  and  ammunition,  and  he 
found  that  His  arm  was  not  shortened  that  He  could 
not  save." 

Mme.  Choisel  stood  a  full  minute  looking  at  the 
pair  as  the  mother  pinned  up  the  garment  and  then, 
without  a  word,  set  her  rifle  back  beside  the  table 
and  resumed  her  work. 

As  the  days  and  weeks  of  the  siege  wore  on  with  its 
ceaseless  fighting,  its  attacks  and  repulses,  its  hard- 
ships and  bloodshed,  the  child  began  to  notice  more 
and  more  the  existing  conditions  and  finally  began  to 
ask  questions  as  to  why  it  was  and  for  what  purpcse. 

"Why  do  men  fight?"  he  asked  Mme.  Choisel.      . 

"Because  some  of  them  are  brutes,"  she  replied. 

"The  Bible  says  man  is  made  in  the  image  and 
likeness  of  God." 

"But  the  Boxers  are  not  men!"  she  said.  "They 
are  just  brutes.  Sometimes  I  think  all  Chinamen  are 
the  same." 

"Well,  what  makes  our  men  fight.''" 

"To  keep  from  being  killed,  of  course." 


THINKING  WAR  15 

"But  they  don't  want  to  fight,  do  they?"  still  queried 
the  child, 

"No,  but  they  have  to  in  war,*' 

"Who  makes  war?'* 

"Why  men,  of  course!"  declared  Mme.  Choisel  with 
a  little  impatience. 

"But  man  is  made  in  the  image  of  God,  and  God  is 
Love.  How  can  one  image  of  Love  fight  another 
image  of  Love?" 

Mme.  Choisel  stopped  as  was  her  custom  when 
perplexed  and  looked  at  the  child  for  some  moments. 
Then,  as  she  resumed  her  work  she  said  as  to  her  own 
thoughts:  "I've  always  heard  that  children  and  fools 
can  ask  questions  that  nobody  can  answer  and  now  I 
know  it." 

Not  receiving  a  reply  from  Mme.  Choisel,  Jack 
went  to  his  mother. 

"Mamma,"  he  asked,  "who  makes  war?'* 

"Error,"  she  replied. 

"There,  I  knew  Mme.  Choisel  was  wrong!"  he 
exclaimed.     "She  said  men." 

"That's  the  way  it  seems  to  her;  but  you  and  I 
will  know  differently,  little  John.  And  we  will  also 
know  that  when  truth  destroys  all  error  there  will  be 
no  war." 

"What  do  you  call  it  when  there  is  no  war.  Mamma  ?" 

"Peace;  and  those  who  bring  peace  are  peace- 
makers." 

"Oh,  I  know,"  exclaimed  the  child,  "and  in  the 
Beatitudes  I  learn  'Blessed  are  the  peacemakers;  for 
they  shall  be  called  the  children  of  God.'  It  must  be 
great  to  be  a  peacemaker.*' 


16  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"  It  is,  because  it  is  a  great  thing  to  be  called  a  child 
of  God!" 

"And,  Mamma,  when  I  asked  Mme.  Choisel  why  we 
had  to  have  war  she  said  so  that  we  could  have  peace. 
Is  that  true?" 

"Some  people  think  so,  John.  A  supposedly  wise 
man  once  said:  'We  must  have  peace  if  we  have  to 
fight  for  it,'  But  peace  will  never  come  that  way.  I 
fear  it's  too  big  a  question  for  a  little  boy,  but  just  aa 
I  begin  to  see,  my  child,  that  death  is  not  the  doorway 
to  eternal  life — that  we  shall  never  realize  immortality 
until  we  overcome  the  thought  of  death,  so  can  I  see 
that  war  is  not  the  stepping-stone  to  peace,  and  that 
we  shall  never  have  perfect  peace  till  all  thought  of 
war  is  destroyed." 

"I  don't  know  all  the  big  words.  Mamma,  but  you 
mean  the  only  way  not  to  have  war  is  not  to  think  war  ?" 

"Thank  God  for  the  simple  mind  of  the  child," 
said  the  mother  taking  the  boy  to  her  breast.  "T^ow 
let  you  and  I  put  war  out  of  our  thoughts,  if  we  can, 
and  run  along  and  play." 

Many  times  during  the  succeeding  weeks  was  this 
conversation  repeated  in  substance  and  always  did  the 
mother  endeavor  to  impress  upon  the  child's  mind  her 
understanding  of  war  as  unreal — the  result  of  in- 
harmonious thought — and  of  peace,  harmony,  as  the 
divinely  real  condition  of  man,  because  the  kingdom 
of  God — the  kingdom  of  heaven — which  Jesus  taught 
*"is  within  you,"  is  the  kingdom  of  harmony.  At  the 
close  of  each  talk  Jack  would  usually  wind  up  with 
the  statement: 

*'  Of  course  war  is  unreal,  Mamma,  because  it  can't 


THINKING  WAR  17 

last  forever  and  all  that  is  real  does.  But  when  will 
it  end  ?" 

And  the  mother  would  always  reply:  "When  men 
cease  to  think  war!" 

"That  seems  a  long  time  off.  Mamma!  When  do 
you  think  it  will  come  ?" 

"When  men  think  good  instead  of  evil,  love  instead 
of  hate,  and  learn  that  there  is  only  one  Mind  and 
that  man  reflects  this  Mind." 

The  child  drew  a  long  breath  and  heaved  a  dis- 
couraged little  sigh.  "That  seems  a  longer  time  off 
than  the  other,  Mamma!" 

The  mother  smiled  at  the  boy's  woe-begone  little 
face  and  replied  cheerily: 

"It  would  not  be  such  a  long  way  off,  little  John,  if 
every  boy  and  girl  were  to  begin  to  practice  the  Golden 
Rule  and  do  unto  others  as  they  would  have  others  do 
unto  them.  If  you  think  good  thoughts  about  your 
playmates,  in  time  they  will  think  good  thoughts  about 
you,  and  instead  of  wanting  to  hurt  each  other  you  will 
tr}'  to  help  and  protect  each  other." 

"Just  as  the  big  Chinaman  put  me  through  the  hole 
in  the  wall  ?" 

"Just  the  same!" 

"And  if  everybody,  all  at  once,  would  begin  to  think 
good  thoughts  instead  of  bad  ones,  this  war  would  be 
over,  wouldn't  it.  Mamma?" 

"  It  certainly  would!" 

"Well,  I  wish  they'd  hurry  up  and  do  it,  for  I'm 
getting  tired  of  being  shut  up  here,  and  of  having  Mme. 
Choisel  always  telling  me  to  keep  down  close  by  the 
wall." 


18  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

It  was  not  long  that  Jack  had  to  wait,  for  the  siege 
was  nearing  an  end.  Day  by  day  the  alHed  army  was 
drawing  nearer  the  gates  of  Peking,  until  in  the  early 
morning  of  August  14  the  little  garrison  was  awakened 
by  the  roar  of  cannon,  while  the  automatic  Pop!  Pop! 
Pop!  of  the  machine  gun  announced  the  arrival  of  the 
allied  armies  at  the  walls.  Before  the  sun  set  that 
night,  the  French  and  Japanese  troops  had  found  the 
weakest  spot  in  the  Chinese  fortifications,  had  poured 
through  the  walls  and  up  to  the  barricaded  compound 
of  the  British  legation  and  the  memorable  defense  was 
over. 

When  news  of  the  safety  of  the  diplomatic  corps 
reached  the  outside  world,  it  stood  astounded  that  such 
a  feat  could  have  been  performed ;  but  there  were  those 
within  the  barricade  who  had  put  their  trust  in  God 
and  knew  in  Whom  they  trusted.  To  them  the  siege 
was  simply  a  trial  of  their  faith,  and  the  rescue  came  as 
a  natural  result  of  their  understanding;  but  to  John 
Winslow,  the  two  months  of  carnage  were  school  days 
in  which  he  learned  the  lesson  of  war — its  cause,  its 
effect  and  its  cure. 


CHAPTER  II 

RECIPROCA 

On  one  of  the  most  beautiful  sites  in  a  great  American 
city  is  located  an  institution  of  learning  founded  upon  the 
divine  Principle,  Love.     Homelike  in  its  arrangements 
and  methods,  it  is  conducted   along  the  lines  marked 
out  by  the  great  Way-Shower  Avhen  he  said;  "Thou 
shalt  love  the   Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart   and 
thy  neighbor  as  thyself."     Its   discipline   is   enforced 
by  love,  and  the  first  in  importance  of  all  its  rules  is 
to  do  unto  others  as  you  would  have  others  do  unto 
you.     It  is  managed  by  a  board   of  directors  whose 
first  aim  is  to  guard  its  students  and  keep  them  pure 
in  heart,  and  its  corps  of  instructors  is  chosen  with  a 
like   purpose.     Jointly  with   its   course   of   instruction 
along  the  lines  laid  down  by  the  best  American  schools, 
is  this  still  more  important  idea:  To  teach  good  instead 
of  evil;   health  instead   of  sickness;   truth   instead   of 
error,  and  that  all  real  knowledge  is  of  God  and  is, 
therefore,   Spiritual   and   not  material.     In   short,   the 
purpose  of  the  school  is  not  only  to  educate  children, 
but  to  educate  them  to  think  and  act  righteously. 

The  doors  of  this  school  are  open  to  all  who  are 
willing  to  have  their  children  instructed  along  these 
lines;    but   no   child    is    accepted   whose   parents   are 

19 


20  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

unwilling  to  abide  by  the  precepts  and  practices  that 
have  been  laid  down.  Boys  and  girls  alike  are  admitted 
to  the  institution,  and  the  same  Principle  and  rule 
govern  both. 

Not  all  children,  when  first  placed  in  this  school,  are 
easily  governed,  and  many  are  the  bitter  struggles  of 
principal  and  teachers  with  some  of  the  pupils,  to 
destroy  the  error  which  has  been  allowed  to  accumulate 
for  generations.  As  impersonal  error  is  detected  only 
by  those  having  a  clear  understanding,  it  sometimes 
happens  in  this  little  community  of  earnest  workers 
that  instead  of  the  error,  the  boys  and  girls  themselves 
seem  to  bring  disorder  and  trouble  for  their  teachers 
and  schoolmates;  but  by  knowing  the  truth  and  hold- 
ing to  it,  the  result  attained  by  the  instructors  is  always 
remarkable,  if  not  always  perfect.  Never  the  person 
but  the  thing;  never  the  child  but  the  evil  thought 
impelling  him,  is  the  object  of  punishment — and  the 
punishment  ordered  for  this  evil  thought,  in  every  case, 
is  complete  destruction. 

"  But  have  you  no  other  discipline — no  other  method 
of  punishment }"  asked  a  visitor  of  little  Mrs.  Lovejoy 
the  principal. 

"None,"  was  the  reply.  "Because  there  is  no 
other  that  is  lasting.  As  for  punishment,  each  error 
brings  its  own,  doesn't  it,  Dorothy .?"  and  Mrs.  Lovejoy 
turned  to  a  sweet  faced  girl  who  had  come  quietly 
into  the  office  on  an  errand. 

The  girl  smiled  pleasantly  as  she  replied:  "Always, 
Mrs.  Lovejoy;  and  I  think  I  ought  to  know  for  I  was 
the  worst  girl  in  school  when — " 

Mrs.    Lovejoy  held    up   her  fingei.      "No   looking 


RECIPROCA  21 

backward,'    she  interrupted;  "remember  Lot's  wife!" 

The  visitor  glanced  from  one  to  the  other  of  the 
speakers  and,  as  she  noted  the  perfect  understanding 
that  existed  between  them,  said  with  an  outburst  of 
satisfaction:  "I  think  I  am  quite  convinced.  I  shall 
be  pleased  to  enter  my  son  as  a  pupil,"  and  then  with 
a  little  hesitancy,  "that  is  if  you  will  take  him?  You 
know  I  am  young  in  this  way  of  thinking  myself." 

"We  shall  be  glad  to  take  him  and  do  all  we  can 
for  him,"  replied  Mrs.  Love  joy.  And  that  is  how 
Allin  Strong  A^as  entered  as  a  pupil  at  Reciproca. 

"I  hope  you  can  give  him  a  congenial  roommate," 
said  Mrs.  Strong  as  she  was  leaving.  "He  is  very 
particular  about  his  chums." 

Mrs.  Lovejoy  smiled  a  knowing  little  smile  as  she 
replied:  "I  do  not  know  that  he  will  be  too  congenial 
— that  is  at  the  start;  but  I  am  sure  your  son  will  find 
all  our  boys  congenial  after  a  little,  for  we  are  all  trying 
to  reflect  the  one  Mind,  you  know." 

Mrs.  Strong  flushed.  "Pardon  me,"  she  said,  "I 
can  see  that  a  chum  that  was  too  congenial  to  Allin 
as  he  now  is,  might  be  the  worst  he  could  have.  I 
shall  leave  him  entirely  in  your  hands." 

"What  a  beautiful  lady!"  exclaimed  Dorothy  as 
Mrs.  Strong  passed  down  the  walk.  "Is  her  son  such 
a  bad  boy?" 

Mrs.  Lovejoy's  face  beamed  with  goodness  as  she 
replied:  "Oh,  no,  I  am  sure  he  is  not.  But  as  you 
go  out,  will  you  ask  Mr.  French  to  send  John  Winslow 
to  me!" 

"The  very  boy!"  said  Dorothy,  "I  thought  of  him 
right  off!" 


22  THE  PEACEJVIAKERS 

"I  am  sure  he  would  be  pleased  to  know  of  your 
good  thought!" 

Dorothy's  cheeks  grew  pink,  "I  hope  so,"  she  said 
impulsively.  And  then  suddenly,  "but  you  won't  tell 
him?" 

"I  am  sure  there  would  be  no  harm  in  his  knowing!" 
and  Mrs.  Lovejoy  signed  the  papers  the  girl  had  brought 
her.  "  But  we'll  let  him  find  out  for  himself !  Here  are 
the  reports!  Tell  Mrs.  Parsons  I  am  well  pleased  with 
them." 

Five  minutes  later  the  door  again  opened  and  a 
bright,  clear-cut,  smiling  face,  crowned  with  a  wealth 
of  wavy  brown  hair,  appeared  in  the  doorway. 

"You  sent  for  me,  Mrs.  Lovejoy.''"  queried  a  manly 
voice,  while  a  pair  of  brown  eyes  sparkled  a  greeting 
to  the  principal  as  she  turned. 

"Yes,  John!     Come  in!" 

The  boy  advanced  into  the  room,  closing  the  door 
carefully  behind  him.  He  was  the  personification  of 
health  and  happiness,  and  every  movement  was  indic- 
ative of  energetic  activity.  Evidently  not  more  than 
sixteen  years  of  age,  there  was  that  about  the  lad 
which  suggested  maturity  of  thought  and  purpose. 
And  yet,  withal,  he  was  bubbling  over  with  youthful 
vivacity;  and  the  fact  that  he  was  a  very  wide-awake 
school  boy  was  the  one  that  made  itself  most  strikingly 
apparent.  Mrs.  Lovejoy  looked  at  his  bright  happy 
face  for  a  moment  before  speaking  and  then,  as  a 
little  smile  spread  itself  over  her  face,  she  asked: 

"How  would  you  like  to  have  a  pupil,  John?" 

"A  pupil,  did  you  say:"  queried  the  boy  with  a 
puzzled  expression. 


RECIPROCA  23 

"Yes,  a  pupil.  One  whom  you  could  teach  to 
think  and  act  rightly." 

"I'd  like  to  do  it!     But  do  you  think  I  can ?" 

"You  can  try.?" 

"Oh,  yes,  I  can  always  try!"  said  the  boy  with  a 
broader  smile.  "But  sometimes  my  trials  don't  turn 
out  just  as  I  want  them  to.  You  remember  how  I 
tried  to  teach  Billy  Jones  to  fly  ?" 

Mrs.  Lovejoy  broke  into  a  merry  laugh  at  the 
recollection  of  the  event. 

"You  were  considerably  younger  then!" 

"Oh,  yes,"  replied  the  lad,  "I  think  I'm  wiser  than 
I  was  then." 

"Neither  had  you  proven  that  you,  yourself,  could 
fly,  had  you  ?  And  so  you  were  trying  to  teach  some- 
thing you  could  not  illustrate,  were  you  not  ?" 

"Sure  thing!"  said  the  boy. 

"Well,  how  could  you  expect  to  teach  another,  some- 
thing you  could  not  do  and  could  not  prove  yourself  ?" 

"It  would  have  been  pretty  hard,  wouldn't  it,  Mrs. 
Lovejoy  ?" 

"I  think  so!  The  simplest  way  to  teach  is  by 
illustration.  It's  much  better  than  by  theory.  If  you 
show  a  person  how  to  do  a  thing,  and  he  has  the  desire, 
it  will  not  take  him  long  to  imitate  you.  That  is  the 
way  I  propose  to  have  you  teach  this  pupil  I  have  in 
mind." 

"Do  you  think  I  can  do  it.''" 

The  principal  gave  the  lad  a  look  of  love  and  confi- 
dence as  she  replied:  "I  know  you  can." 

"I'll  do  my  best,  Mrs.  Lovejoy." 

"You  always  do,  John!     That  is  why  I  know  I  can 


24  THE  PEACEIMAKERS 

trust  you.  You  may  not  always  do  as  well  as  you  would 
like,  or  as  well  as  I  should  like  to  have  you — we  are  all 
more  or  less  human  in  our  methods — but  you,  I  have 
noticed,  always  try  to  do  the  best  you  can." 

The  lad's  face  flushed  with  pleasure. 

"T  am  telling  you  this,"  continued  the  principal,  "to 
mcourage  you;  to  let  you  know  that  your  efforts  are 
appreciated.  And  now  I  am  going  to  set  you  the 
hardest  task  I  have  ever  given  you.  I  want  you,  by 
your  example — by  illustration,  to  teach  a  boy  to  think 
and  act  rightly,  who  up  to  this  time  I  am  told,  has 
not  only  been  allowed  to  think  wrongly,  but  has 
never  been  shown  how  it  is  possible  to  think  any 
other  way." 

"Then  how  could  any  one  expect  him  to  act  any 
other  way .''"  asked  the  lad  in  surprise. 

"They  could  not,  but  they  did,"  replied  Mrs.  Love- 
joy  laughing  at  the  paradoxical  statement.  "Or  more 
properly  speaking,"  she  continued,  "they  should  not 
have  expected  anything  else,  although  his  family  and 
his  friends  have  not  been  able  to  see  this.  It  was  not 
until  a  few  months  ago,  when  his  mother  was  healed 
of  a  serious  illness  and  was  taught  the  truth,  that  she 
began  to  think  of  these  things.  Now,  she  alone  of  all 
his  family,  has  begun  to  understand  what  is  wrong  with 
her  son,  and  he  is  coming  here  to  school.  Of  course 
he  will  have  the  same  help  from  his  teachers  and  all 
of  us  that  the  other  students  get;  but  there  must  be 
one  pretty  good  example  before  him  all  the  time,  until 
he  comes  to  the  point  where  his  thought  begins  to 
change.  I  want  you  to  furnish  that  example,  my  boy, 
for  I  am  sure  that  you  can." 


RECIPROCA  25 

The  boy  listened  with  the  closest  attention.  "I'll 
do  the  best  I  can!"  he  said  when  Mrs.  Lovejoy 
finished.  "  Do  you  think  that  I  think  right .?  I  never 
knew  any  other  way — " 

"Thank  God  for  that!"  interjected  Mrs.  Lovejoy. 

"But,"  continued  the  lad,  "I  don't  know  as  I  always 
act  as  well  as  I  think!" 

"But  you  must!"  interrupted  the  principal.  "And 
you  must  not  even  think  that  you  don't!  That  is  one 
reason  why  I  am  giving  you  this  pupil,  as  I  call  him. 
You  will  find  that  your  effort  to  teach  him,  will  be  of 
the  greatest  help  to  you.  But  now  back  to  your 
lessons.  I  will  have  your  room  arranged  so  that 
when  he  arrives  we  can  make  him  feel  that  he  is  wel- 
come." 

When  the  two  boys  met  a  couple  of  days  later  it 
appeared  that  AUin  Strong  was  the  exact  opposite  of 
John  Winslow  in  physique  as  well  as  in  thought  and 
action.  Slight  of  build,  with  jet  black  hair  and  pallid 
complexion,  his  habits  of  life  from  the  time  he  was 
twelve  years  of  age  had  been  such  that  now,  at  the  age 
of  sixteen,  one  would  have  judged  him  at  first  glance 
to  be  several  years  the  senior.  But  a  few  days  experi- 
ence developed  the  fact  that  while  John's  thought  was 
trained  and  maturing,  Allin's  was  untrained  and 
childish.  He  had  been  brought  up  in  the  belief  that 
the  world  and  the  people  in  it  were  hard  and  selfish 
and  that  the  only  way  to  get  what  he  wanted  was  to 
aght  for  it — although  perhaps  not  exactly  in  those 
l«rms.  His  father  and  uncle  were  wealthy  merchants 
of  Quebec  who  had  made  their  money  through  close 
business  methods,  and  he  had  alwavs  heard  the  Golden 


26  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

Rule  referred  to  as  a  joke.  He  had  been  taught  in 
its  stead:  "Do  others  or  they'll  do  you." 

As  a  child,  if  he  wanted  anything  he  cried  for  it; 
as  a  lad,  he  teased  for  it;  and  as  he  became  big  enough, 
whatever  he  wanted  he  took  without  any  thought 
other  than  the  gratification  of  his  own  selfish  desires. 
He  saw  pretty  nearly  everyone  else  acting  thus  and 
why  should  not  he. 

For  the  first  few  days  after  his  admission  to  Recip- 
roca,  Allin  listened  to  the  words  of  the  teachers  and 
pupils  and  watched  their  actions  with  unfeigned 
curiosity,  and  yet  with  an  air  of  disdain  that  was  very 
noticeable.  The  idea  of  getting  any  pleasure  out  of 
giving,  or  doing  for  another  seemed  ridiculous,  and  he 
said  to  his  roommate  when  they  were  alone  in  their 
room  the  second  night: 

"Say,  Jack,  do  you  know  you  all  act  like  a  lot  of 
mollycoddles  ?" 

"No,  do  you  think  we  do?"  queried  John  with  an 
amused  smile. 

"Sure!  You  just  spoiled  your  ball  game  this  after- 
noon by  letting  in  that  kid,  Willie  Hawkins.  Why,  he 
ought  to  be  playing  dolls  with  the  girls." 

"But  suppose  the  girls  hadn't  thought  so?" 

"Let  him  go  play  with  himself  then!" 

"That  wouldn't  be  doing  as  we  would  be  done  by!" 

"What!"  exclaimed  Allin  in  surprise. 

"I  say  that  wouldn't  be  doing  as  we  would  be  done 
by,"  repeated  John. 

"Oh,  I  heard  what  you  said  all  right!  But  what's 
that  got  to  do  with  it  ?" 

"Everything!     If  you  do  not  do  by  others  as  you 


RECIPROCA  27 

would  have  them  do  by  you,  how  can  you  expect  them 
to  do  by  you  as  you  would  be  done  by?" 

"I  don't  expect  anyone  to  do  anything  for  me." 

*'Oh,  yes  you  do,  AUin!" 

*'Not  much!  If  I  want  anything  I  get  it,  or  do  it 
myself." 

"How?" 

"Why,  I  just  do,  that's  all!"  and  Allin  picked  up  a 
book  and  began  turning  the  leaves.  "I  say,  Jack, 
what  was  that  question  Mrs.  Lovejoy  wanted  us  to 
look  up  ?" 

"Suppose  you  go  ask  her!"  said  John. 

"Oh,  come  now,  you  know  what  it  was.  Be  a  good 
fellow  and  tell  me.     I'd  do  as  much  for  you!" 

"Oh,  would  you?" 

"Sure!" 

"Well,  seeing  that  you're  willing  to  do  one  thing  for 
me  which  you'd  have  me  do  for  you,  I'll  tell  you! 
Hand  me  the  book!" 

Allin  laughed:  "That's  getting  back  at  a  fellow 
pretty  quick!" 

"No  quicker  than  you  got  back  at  me,"  said  John. 

"How's  that?" 

"You  said  you'd  do  as  much  for  me,  and  I  don't 
doubt  it,  although  you  made  fun  of  the  rule." 

Allin  sat  quietly  thinking  for  several  moments  while 
John  found  the  place.  As  he  received  back  the  book 
he  remarked:  "Maybe  there's  a  good  deal  in  that  rule 
after  all!" 

"Try  it!"  suggested  John. 

Just  a  week  later  came  the  first  of  the  Saturday  half- 
holidays  given  over  to  athletic  sports.     These  out-of- 


28  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

door  days  are  just  as  much  for  the  girls  as  for  the  boys, 
and  they  take  quite  as  much  interest  in  them.  There 
were  some  pretty  good  athletes  among  the  Reciproca 
boys  and  some  good  basket-ball  and  tennis  players 
among  the  girls;  but  there  had  not  as  yet  been  any 
real  trial  to  show  the  mettle  of  the  new-comers.  And 
so  there  was  great  interest  and  no  little  excitement 
among  the  students  over  the  Saturday  events. 

If  the  morning  lessons  and  lectures  showed  the 
effects  of  the  occasion,  the  teachers  took  no  outward 
heed  of  it,  but  worked  that  much  harder  mentally  to 
make  the  instruction  fruitful.  At  last  the  duties  were 
over  for  the  day  and  the  young  people  began  to  flock 
toward  the  campus. 

"We'll  surely  be  able  to  pick  out  the  basket-ball 
team  after  to-day,"  said  Katheryn  Gray  to  a  group  of 
girls  as  they  swung  along  arm  in  arm.  "Of  course 
Dorothy  Howerton  will  be  captain!" 

"Who's  that  taking  my  name  in  vain.?"  asked 
Dorothy  coming  up  just  in  time  to  hear  part  of  the 
conversation. 

"Katheryn  says  of  course  you'll  be  captain  of  the 
basket-ball  team,"  explained  Maude  Brown,  a  second- 
year  girl  and  one  of  the  best  players  in  the  school. 

"I  don't  think  I  shall  play  at  all  this  year!"  answered 
Dorothy.     "I  think  I  shall  go  in  for  tennis." 

"What.''"  exclaimed  the  girls  in  chorus. 

"I  was  captain  last  year  and  I  know  there  is  some- 
one else  who  will  do  just  as  well  and  would  like  to  serve," 
and  Dorothy  smiled  knowingly  at  Maude. 

"But,  Dorothy,"  said  Katheryn,  "you're  easily  the 
best  player — " 


RECIPROCA  29 

**Tlie  very  reason  then  why  I  should  graduate!" 
interrupted  Dorothy.  "We  know,  however,  that  really 
there  can  be  no  best  where  all  are  good.  But  there 
come  the  boys  for  their  first  football  try-out." 

"I  hope  they  won't  put  that  skinny  looking  boy  on 
the  team,"  said  little  Ruth  White.     "I  don't  like  him!" 

"You  don't  what.'"  asked  Katheryn,  while  Dorothy 
looked  at  Ruth  with  wide  opened  eyes. 

"I  don't  like  him.     He  pulled  my  hair." 

"Of  course  he  pulled  your  hair  if  you  don't  like  him. 
But  you  know  how  to  make  him  treat  you  well,  don't 

you?" 

"How.?"  asked  Mary  Adams,  a  new  girl,  who  had 
hardly  spoken  during  the  six  weeks  since  school  opened 
except  to  ask  a  question. 

"Why,  by  treating  him  well,  of  course!"  explained 
Katheryn. 

"But  I  just  can't  like  him!"  said  little  Ruth. 

"Of  course  you  can  if  you  will  separate  him  from 
error,"  broke  in  Dorothy.  "But  we  must  hurry  for  I 
see  Mr.  Marsden  dividing  the  boys  for  a  scrimmage." 

As  the  girls  drew  near,  Mr.  Marsden,  the  instructor 
in  charge,  was  saying:  "Now,  boys,  we'll  just  have  a 
rough  and  tumble  try-out  for  about  twenty  minutes  so 
that  I  can  see  how  the  new  boys  line  up.  John,  you 
captain  one  side  and  Willie,  you  take  the  other!" 

In  the  division  Allin  found  himself  on  the  side 
captained  by  the  small  boy.  In  a  minute  his  untrained 
thought  made  itself  apparent  and  he  snapped  out: 

"What,  me  play  under  a  baby?  Not  much!  I 
think  I'll  go  back  to  the  hall!" 

If  a  clap  of  thunder  had  suddenly  come  out  of  a 


so  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

clear  sky  it  would  not  have  caused  more  surprise  among 
the  students.     But  Mr.  Marsden  said  simply: 

"I  guess  you  don't  understand,  Allin.  Although 
smaller  in  size,  Willie  is  an  expert." 

"I  don't  care  what  he  is!"  again  snapped  Allin.  "I 
don't  care  to  play  with  babies  anyway!" 

"The  only  babies,"  said  Mr.  Marsden,  "are  those 
who  are  babies  in  thought." 

At  AUin's  first  outburst  Willie's  face  had  flushed,  and 
it  grew  even  redder  at  Mr.  Marsden's  kind  words.  At 
Allin's  next  outbreak,  however,  with  a  face  wreathed 
in  smiles,  he  stepped  forward  and  said : 

"Let  Allin  be  captain  of  our  side,  Mr.  Marsden,  I 
don't  mind  playing  under  him." 

"No,"  said  Mr.  Marsden  firmly,  "you  are  the  captain 
because  you  have  shown  that  you  really  are  a  captain!" 

"Would  you  mind  if  I  traded  places  with  Allin?" 
asked  John.  "I  think  maybe  it  would  make  the  sides 
more  equal." 

Mr.  ISIarsden  looked  sharply  at  the  speaker  and 
catching  a  significant  glance  replied,  after  looking 
around : 

"I  am  not  sure  but  you  are  right,  John.  But  we 
have  never  seen  Allin  play." 

"Oh,  I  can  play  all  right!"  broke  in  Allin. 

"Very  well,  then,  we'll  try  it  that  way,"  decided 
Mr.  Marsden. 

The  game  was  called  and  in  the  toss  Allin  won  and 
was  given  the  ball  to  kick  off.  At  his  very  first  attempt 
it  was  plain  that  he  knew  nothing  about  the  game,  and 
as  the  scrimmage  progressed  this  fact  became  more 
and  more  apparent.     When  the  twenty  minutes  were 


RECIPROCA  SI 

up  the  score  stood  twenty-four  to  nothing  in  favor  of 
Willie's  side.  So  plain  was  the  cause,  that  several  of 
the  new  boys  did  not  hesitate  to  express  themselves 
and  the  result  was  that  instead  of  covering  himself 
with  glory  as  he  had  hoped  and  expected,  Allin  had 
exposed  his  ignorance  and  greatly  belittled  himself  in 
the  eyes  of  his  schoolfellows. 

"Oh,  well,"  said  Mr.  Marsden  as  the  boys  came 
streaming  in  off  the  field,  "you'll  all  do  better  next 
time." 

"Not  with  such  a  captain  as  that!"  said  one  of  the 
new  boys. 

Allin's  face  grew  white  as  he  replied  angrily:  "It 
was  all  a  put  up  job  on  Jack's  part  to  make  a  monkey 
of  me;  but  I'll  get  even  with  him!"  and  he  rushed  off 
the  field  and  back  to  the  hall. 

John  was  about  to  make  a  denial  but  instead,  after  a 
moment,  said  to  Willie:  "You're  all  right,  youngster!" 
Then  to  Mr.  Marsden:  "What  next?" 

"A  bit  of  tennis  for  the  girls  while  you  boys  rest  up." 

When  John  returned  to  his  room  after  the  games 
were  over,  Allin  was  not  there.  He  came  in  some 
moments  later,  but  made  no  reply  to  John's  greeting, 
and  so  John  said: 

"I  am  very  sorry,  Allin,  that  you  are  angry  about 
the  football,     I  thought  I  was  doing  you  a  good  turn." 

Allin  turned  on  him  with  flashing  eyes: 

"You  didn't  think  anything  of  the  kind!  You  knew 
just  how  it  would  turn  out  and  you  did  it  on  purpose 
to  queer  me  and  at  the  same  time  to  make  'em  all 
think  you  a  saint!  You  can't  fool  me  with  all  your 
preaching  about  the  Golden  Rule.     I  tell  you,  you're 


32  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

all  a  lot  of  mollycoddles,  and  I'm  going  to  make  mother 
take  me  out  of  here." 

"You're  wrong,  AUin!  All  wrong!  But  you'll  have 
to  find  it  out  for  yourself.     Nobody  can  tell  it  to  you." 

"I've  found  out  all  I  want  to  know  about  all  of  you!" 
was  the  angry  response.  "I'm  going  to  quit  you  just 
as  soon  as  I  can!" 

But  he  didn't. 

An  account  of  his  actions  and  words  was  given  to 
Mrs.  Lovejoy.  She  took  no  apparent  notice  of  them 
other  than  to  say,  after  greeting  Allin  in  the  dining 
room  a  couple  of  days  later  with  a  cheery  "Good 
morning,"  and  a  pleasant  smile: 

"I  trust  you  are  getting  used  to  our  ways.** 

"I'm  afraid  not  very  fast!"  he  replied 

"But  you  will.  You  will  find  that  good  is  much 
more  natural  than  evil." 

To  John  she  said:  "Well,  how  is  your  pupil  coming 

?»» 

"Not  very  fast,  it  seems.  I'm  afraid  I'm  not  a  very 
good  teacher." 

"You  know  you  were  to  teach  by  illustration — ^by 
deeds." 

"Well,  I'll  surely  have  to,  Mrs.  Lovejoy,  for  he  won't 
speak  to  me  at  all." 

"Rememoer,  my  boy,"  said  Mrs.  Lovejoy  earnestly, 
"that  actions  speak  louder  than  words,  and  I  am  sure 
you  will  cause  him  to  listen." 

With  this  thought  in  mind  John  continued  in  the 
daily  routine  of  his  school  duties.  He  had  been  work- 
ing along  this  line  so  many  years  that  the  words  were 
more  to  him  than  a  mere  platitude.     To  some  degree 


RECIPROCA  33 

he  had  proven  them  many  times;  but  in  all  his  boyish 
experience  he  had  never  come  in  contact  with  a  lad 
like  Allin — one  who  seemed  to  be  utterly  wrapped  up 
in  self  and  to  have  absolutely  no  thought  of  any  one 
else. 

"How  can  you  stand  it  to  room  with  such  a  boy?" 
Dorothy  asked  him  one  day. 

"I  don't  mind!"  replied  John.  "I  just  think  of  him 
as  being  asleep  and  I  know  that  he  will  wake  up  some- 
time." 

"It'll  take  a  good  big  shaking  to  awaken  him,  I'm 
thinking,"  said  Dorothy. 

"You  never  can  tell.  It  may  be  some  very  small 
thing,  if  it's  unusual.  But  I  am  just  knowing  as  hard 
as  ever  I  can  that  there  is  no  power  apart  from  good 
and  that  Allin  must  yield  to  this  power  the  same  as 
everyone  else." 

"Do  you  really  know  it,  Jack?"  asked  Dorothy.  "I 
try  to,  but  sometimes  it  does  seem  that  evil  is  power, 
although  we're  taught  that  it  is  not." 

"Well,"  replied  John  with  a  little  shake  of  the  head, 
"I  seem  to  know  it;  but  I  reckon  I  don't  really.  For 
if  I  absolutely  knew  it  I  wouldn't  be  so  long  in  waking 
Allin  up." 

Their  conversation  was  interrupted  by  the  approach 
of  some  half  dozen  of  the  younger  children  headed  by 
Willie  Hawkins.  They  were  apparently  greatly  dis- 
turbed about  something,  and  all  began  trying  to  tell 
it  at  once. 

"Hold  on!  Hold  on!"  exclaimed  John.  "One  at  a 
time!  Here,  Willie,  suppose  you  tell  me  what  it's  all 
about." 


34  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"It's  those  boys  from  the  Bryant  school.  They've 
been  throwing  stones  at  us  again." 

"I  thought  we'd  stopped  all  that!"  said  John. 

"It's  all  Allin's  fault!"  said  one. 

"Oh,  it  is?     Well,  what's  Allin  been  doing?" 

"Why,  he  threw  stones  at  them." 

"Oh,  I  see,"  said  John.  "And  now  we  will  have 
to  do  our  work  all  over  again.  But  Allin  isn't  big 
enough  to  cause  trouble  long,  when  all  the  rest  of  us 
are  working  for  peace.  Remember,  good  does  not 
lead  us  into  trouble,  but  delivers  us  from  it!" 

"What  makes  Allin  do  so?"  asked  Dorothy  after 
the  little  ones  had  gone  back  to  play. 

"If  I  only  knew  that,"  replied  John,  "I  think  I 
could  help  him  to  change  much  faster;  but  whatever 
makes  him,  this  I  do  know:  just  as  soon  as  he  begins 
to  think  right — to  think  good  instead  of  evil,  obedi- 
ence instead  of  disobedience  and  peace  instead  of 
inharmony — he'll  act  right." 

"We  afl  do,"  said  Dorothy.     "I  did." 

"And  we  all  have  to  learn  our  lesson,  Dorothy.  Allin 
will  have  to  learn  his." 

It  was  approaching  the  Christmas  holidays.  A  few 
of  the  students  who  lived  either  in  the  city  or  near  by 
were  to  go  home,  while  those  living  at  a  distance  were 
making  preparations  to  have  the  best  time  possible  at 
the  school.  Mrs.  Lovejoy  had  arranged  a  little  pro- 
gram for  the  ten  days  rest,  and  the  spirit  of  happiness 
prevailed. 

Two  or  three  days  before  the  term  closed,  Allin 
surprised  his  roommate  by  announcing  that  he  guessed 
he   would    remain    at    school    during    the     vacation 


RECIPROCA  35 

instead  of  going  home.  It  was  the  first  time  he  had 
spoken  pleasantly  in  weeks  and  John  quickly  replied: 

"That'll  be  fine.     There's  always  plenty  doing." 

"I  thought  there  would  be,"  said  Allin,  "that's  why 
I  want  to  stay.     There  ain't  any  fun  at  home." 

A  Burton  Holmes  lecture  was  scheduled  for  the  first 
night  of  vacation  and  everyone  was  going. 

"Let's  you  and  I  go  down  town  early,"  said  Allin 
to  John,  "and  meet  the  bunch  at  the  lecture  later." 

"All  right!" 

"I  want  you  to  meet  some  friends  of  mine,"  con- 
tinued Allin. 

"I'll  be  glad  to." 

"What  do  you  say  if  we  get  dinner  down  town? 
Won't  anybody  object,  will  they?" 

"Not  in  the  least.  I'll  tell  Mr.  French  and  we  can 
go  any  time  you  say.  I've  got  a  book  I  want  to  leave 
at  the  public  library  and  we  can  stop  there  first." 

After  leaving  the  book,  the  boys  sauntered  down  the 
street,  stopping  at  several  stores  where  they  made  some 
small  purchases  and  finally  reached  an  attractive  build- 
ing on  Sixth  Street.  A  broad  stairway,  brilliantly 
lighted,  led  to  the  second  floor. 

"Come  on  up!"  said  Allin  leading  the  way.  "My 
friends  are  up  here." 

"It's  a  pool  room,  isn't  it?    inquired  John. 

"Sure!" 

"Well,  I  don't  believe  I'll  go  up.  I'll  wait  for  you 
here." 

"Come  on  up!     What  are  you  afraid  of?" 

"I'm  not  afraid  of  anything;  but  I  don't  fit  the 
place, — and  besides  we're  on  honor,  you  know!" 


86  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"Oh,  come  on,"  urged  Allin,  "don't  be  a  molly- 
coddle." 

John  laughed. 

"I  have  always  wanted  a  good  definition  of  a  molly- 
coddle," he  said,  "and  now  I  have  one.  It's  a  boy 
who  doesn't  fit  a  pool  room." 

"Oh,  you  make  me  tired!     Ain't  you  coming  up ?'* 

"No,  I  guess  not.  If  you  just  want  to  see  some 
one  for  a  minute,  I'll  wait  for  you;  but  if  you're  going 
to  play,  I  think  I'll  go  over  to  the  hotel  and  read  a  while 
before  dinner." 

"All  right,  if  you  won't  go  up !  I  don't  know  whether 
I'll  play  or  not,  but  I  wouldn't  be  such  a  mollycoddle 
as  you  are  for  a  thousand  dollars.  If  I  ain't  there  by 
six  o'clock  don't  wait!" 

Stopping  at  the  news  stand  and  buying  a  magazine, 
John  took  a  seat  in  one  of  the  big  hotel  chairs  and  for 
an  hour  or  more  thoroughly  enjoyed  himself.  At  last 
the  chimes  in  the  big  clock  on  the  stairs  struck  a  quarter 
of  six.  Putting  the  magazine  in  his  overcoat  pocket, 
John  sauntered  out  into  the  great  rotunda.  Six  o'clock 
came  and  a  quarter  past  and  still  Allin  did  not  appear. 
So  John  had  his  dinner  alone  and  shortly  after  boarded 
a  car  and  went  out  to  the  lecture.  In  answer  to  all 
inquiries  about  Allin  he  simply  said  that  Allin  had  met 
some  friends  down  town. 

John  half  expected  to  find  Allin  in  his  room  upon  his 
return  to  the  hall,  but  was  not  greatly  surprised  when 
he  did  not.  When  it  came  11  o'clock  and  11.30,  how- 
ever, he  slipped  quietly  out  of  the  hall  and  down  across 
the  great  park  to  the  main  entrance  through  which 
Allin  would  be  likely  to  pass  upon  his  return  home. 


RECIPROCA  37 

Jiust  before  he  reached  the  gate,  in  passing  down  one 
of  the  avenues,  he  heard  a  groan.  He  stopped  and  in 
a  minute  it  was  repeated.  Hastening  to  the  spot  from 
whence  the  noise  came  John  found  AUin  lying  on  the 
ground,  apparently  in  great  pain. 

He  knelt  by  the  boy's  side  and  taking  his  hand 
asked : 

"What  is  the  matter,  Allin  ?    What  can  I  do  for  you  ?" 

"I'm  so  sick!"  groaned  Allin.  "And  I've  such 
terrible  pains  in  my  stomach." 

And  then  as  another  spasm  of  pain  came  he  groaned 
aloud. 

John  perceived  that  immediate  action  was  necessary. 
As  he  knelt  there  in  the  dark,  he  tried  to  realize  for 
the  suffering  boy  the  unreality  of  all  that  cometh  not 
from  God;  that  man  in  God's  image  and  likeness 
is  not  under  the  dominion  of  any  form  of  evil  and  that 
evil  is  not  power,  no  matter  how  great  a  claim  it  may 
make. 

In  a  comparatively  short  time  Allin's  groans  ceased 
and  he  lay  quiet. 

The  clock  in  a  nearby  tower  struck  midnight  and 
rising  to  his  feet  John  said:  "Come,  Allin,  let's  go  up 
to  our  room." 

Allin  sat  up  and  looked  around.  "I  feel  much 
better,"  he  said. 

John  helped  him  to  his  feet  and  arm  in  arm  they 
made  their  way  back  to  the  hall. 

As  soon  as  the  light  was  turned  on  Allin  surveyed 
himself  in  the  mirror.  Then  turning  to  John  he  said: 
"I  look  pretty  tough,  don't  I?" 

"Not  to  me,"  replied  John. 


38  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"  Oh,  come,  how  can  you  say  that  ?'* 

"Not  only  can  I  say  it  but  I  mean  it.  If  I  had  not 
been  able  to  see  you  as  you  are  in  truth  you  might  be 
lying  out  there  groaning  and  sick  yet." 

"By  George,  you  were  a  kind  of  a  good  Samaritan 
like  we  read  about  in  our  lesson  the  other  day,  weren't 

you." 

"Well,  yes,  I  guess  I  was,"  replied  John.  And  then 
with  a  grim  determination:  "You  were  certainly  the 
man  that  fell  among  thieves — the  worst  kind  of  thieves." 

"What  do  you  mean.'^"  asked  Allin  bristling  up. 
"They  were  my  friends  and  good  fellows." 

"I'm  not  talking  about  those  boys  at  all.  I  mean 
the  thieves  that  stole  away  your  senses  and  your  health; 
your  manhood  and  your  self-respect.  They're  the  kind 
of  thieves  you  fell  among,  and  when  they  had  robbed 
you  of  all  you  had,  they  left  you  to  suffer,  if  not  to  die." 

John's  voice  had  become  very  earnest  and  Allin 
turned  from  hanging  away  his  coat  and  looked  at  him. 

"Was  I  as  bad  as  that?"  he  finally  asked. 

"Don't  you  know  you  were?" 

"I  don't  believe  I  do.  I  know  I  was  awfully  sick 
when  you  found  me,  but  I  got  well  so  quick,  I  thought 
maybe  I  had  just  eaten  and  drunk  too  much." 

"That's  just  what  you  had  done.  You  made  an 
animal  of  yourself  and  the  animal  was  paying  for  it. 
But  I  knew  that  man  in  the  image  and  likeness  of  God 
is  not  an  animal,  and  my  understanding  of  truth 
destroyed  the  false  claim  of  error." 

Allin  sat  down  on  the  edge  of  the  bed  and  began  to 
unlace  his  shoes. 

"Do  you  believe  all  that?"  he  asked. 


RECIPROCA  89 

**I  know  it!"  replied  John.  "I  don't  think  I  ever 
knew  anything  else." 

Allin  straightened  up  and  looked  at  him;  then  sud- 
denly: "Say,  if  it  ain't  too  late,  tell  me  about  it!" 

"About  what?" 

"About  your  not  knowing  any  thing  else.  You  see 
my  mother  was  only  healed  a  few  months  ago,  and 
although  my  father  thinks  well  of  it  the  rest  of  the 
family  don't  take  much  stock  in  it.  They  think  it's  a 
pretty  good  religion  and  they  know  this  is  a  good 
school;  but  I  guess  most  of  'em  think  mother  would 
have  gotten  well  anyway." 

"What  do  you  think,  Allin.?  You're  old  enough  to 
think  for  yourself." 

"Well,  mother  was  pretty  sick  and  the  doctor  said 
she  couldn't  get  well.  But  she  did  and  she's  stayed 
well.  It  looks  like  it  was  good  for  something;  but  it 
does  make  a  lot  of  mollycoddles  of  the  boys." 

John  laughed:  "That  idea  of  a  mollycoddle  surely 
does  bother  you,  Allin.  But  which  do  you  think 
looked  the  most  like  a  mollycoddle  an  hour  ago — you 
groaning  on  the  ground  or  J  trying  to  help  you  to  get 
well?" 

Allin  made  no  reply  but  his  face  flushed  as  John 
continued : 

"I  don't  see  anything  about  myself  or  the  other 
boys  who  are  trying  to  think  and  act  the  best  we  know 
how  that  entitles  us  to  the  name  mollycoddle.  As  ] 
tell  you,  not  since  I  can  remember  have  I  ever  known 
any  other  way  of  thinking.  My  mother  was  healed 
when  I  was  a  baby.  My  father  was  a  missionary  and 
was  killed  during  the  Boxer  rebellion  in  China  more 


40  THE  peace:makers 

than  ten  years  ago.  Mother  and  I  were  rescued  and 
taken  to  Peking,  and  my  earliest  recollections  are  of 
war.  As  a  youngster  I  can  remember  asking  questions 
as  to  why  there  was  war,  and  I'll  never  forget  my 
mother's  answer,  that  we  had  war  because  we  thought 
war.  Even  then  I  could  see  that  it  was  true.  Later,  I 
could  see  that  we  were  seemingly  sick  and  full  of  evil 
because  we  thought  sickness  and  evil. 

"After  we  Avere  rescued  from  Peking  by  the  allied 
army,  we  returned  to  Massachusetts  where  my  mother 
became  a  practitioner  and  where  she  now  is.  Five 
years  ago  she  brought  me  to  this  school,  w  here  I  have 
been  ever  since  and  where,  as  you  can  see,  we  are 
taught  nothing  but  right  thinking — because  if  we 
think  right  we  act  right.  Now  do  you  wonder  I 
think  the  very  best  I  can?" 

"No,"  exclaimed  AUin.  "And  in  spite  of  what  I 
may  do  or  say  I  think  you  act  pretty  nearly  right.  I 
suppose  you'll  think  it  right  to  tell  Mrs.  Lovejoy  about 
me.?" 

"Why  should  I?  If  I  l\ave  helped  you  to  get  well 
and  am  helping  you  to  think  right,  so  you  won't  act 
wrongly  any  more,  I  think  that's  enough,  don't  you  ? 
The  only  punishment  you  now  need  is  to  have  the 
wrong  thought — the  sin — destroyed." 

Allin  finished  undressing  without  saying  a  word,  but 
after  he  was  in  bed  and  the  light  out  he  said : 

"Jack,  you're  certainly  all  right;  but  J  can't  help 
thinking  you're  an  awful  mollycoddle!" 

From  that  time  on,  Allin  began  to  awaken.  As 
John  watched  the  awakening,  he  became  more  and 
more  interested  in  the  work  and  strove  harder  day  by 


RECIPROCA  41 

day  to  furnish  a  more  perfect  example.  So  marked 
was  the  result  that  the  entire  school  felt  its  effect,  and 
the  year  proved  one  of  unusual  progress.  In  none, 
however,  was  the  progress  more  marked  than  in  John, 
himself.  It  taught  him  to  look  for  the  good  that  is 
to  be  found  in  every  human  consciousness,  and  it  laid 
the  foundation  for  the  great  law  practice  towards 
which  he  was  aiming  and  to  which  he  later  attained. 


CHAPTER  m 

LAW  AND  PRACTICE 

The  bailiff's  hammer  came  down  with  a  whack. 

"Oyez!  Oyez!  the  honorable  circuit  court  of 
Jackson  county  is  now  in  session  pursuant  to  adjourn- 
ment." 

The  judge  took  his  seat  upon  the  bench  and  the 
work  of  dispensing  justice  to  the  citizens  of  the  great 
commonwealth  of  Missouri  was  resumed  where  it  had 
been  broken  off  by  the  noon  hour. 

Whack !  Whack !  again  sounded  the  bailiff's  hammer 
followed  by  the  stern  command:  "Order  in  the  court!" 
as  a  couple  of  countrymen,  unfamiliar  with  the  dignity 
of  the  court,  greeted  each  other  across  the  room. 

"Call  the  witnesses  in  the  case  of  the  State  against 
Cotton  Smith,  Mr.  Sheriff!"  ordered  the  court. 

"The  witnesses  in  the  case  of  the  State  against 
Cotton  Smith  will  answer  to  their  names  as  called  and 
remain  seated,"  announced  the  bailiff  as  he  proceeded 
to  drone  out  a  long  list  of  names,  the  owners  of  which 
were  supposed  to  know  something  about  the  manner 
in  which  Cotton  Smith,  a  colored  lad,  had  offended  the 
peace  and  dignity  of  the  great  state  of  Missouri,  by 
separating  farmer  Nicholas  Gruen  from  $4.38  while  he 
slept  off  a  strenuous  bout  with  John  Barleycorn  the 
previous  June.     It  was  now  October,  and  during  the 

42 


LAW  AND  PRACTICE  43 

intervening  months  Cotton  Smith  had  put  in  his  time 
behind  the  bars  of  the  county  jail. 

"Is  the  prisoner  in  court,  Mr.  Sheriff?"  inquired 
the  judge  without  looking  up  from  the  docket  upon 
which  he  was  writing. 

"Cotton  Smith  stand  up!"  thundered  the  bailiff  in 
response  to  the  query. 

"What's  the  indictment,  Mr.  Clerk?"  asked  the 
judge  still  busy  with  his  record  book. 

The  clerk  stopped  writing  long  enough  to  glance  at 
the  book  next  to  him  and  replied:  "Robbery  in  the 
first  degree." 

The  judge  raised  his  eyes  for  a  minute  to  be  sure  he 
was  addressing  some  one  and  asked: 

"Guilty  or  not  guilty?" 

The  youth,  for  he  was  not  more  than  nineteen  or 
twenty,  looked  around  and  fumbled  with  a  cap  he 
held  in  his  hand  as  he  replied:  "Not  guilty!" 

"Have  you  a  lawyer?"  asked  the  court. 

"N-n-no,  sah!" 

"The  court  will  assign  you  one." 

The  judge  cast  his  eyes  about  the  room  as  though 
looking  for  some  one,  but  before  he  could  speak,  the 
prisoner  broke  out  with: 

"Nevah  mind.  Judge,  I'se  guilty  all  right!  I  done 
took  de  man's  money  while  he  was  asleep  in  de  bahn. 
You  needn't  git  no  lawyer  to  find  it  out." 

Whack!  Whack!  went  the  hammer  and:  "Order  in 
the  court!"  from  the  bailiff  as  an  audible  smile  passed 
over  the  court  room. 

"Then  you  change  your  plea  from  not  guilty  to 
guilty  ?"  said  the  court  sternly. 


44  TIIE  PEACEMAKERS 

"Y-y-yas,  sah,  I'se  guilty!" 

"Two  years  in  the  penitentiary,"  said  the  Judge 
writing  in  the  docket.  "Mr.  Sheriff,  dismiss  the  wit- 
nesses and  call  the  case  of  the  State  against  James  R. 
Kane." 

A  deputy  led  the  colored  youth  back  to  his  cell  while 
the  bailiff  called  out: 

"All  the  witnesses  in  the  case  of  Cotton  Smith  are 
dismissed!  The  witnesses  in  the  case  of  James  R. 
Kane  will  answer  to  their  names  as  called  and  remain 
seated." 

Then  followed  the  same  routine  as  in  the  previous 
case,  but,  instead  of  a  lone  man  being  brought  up 
before  the  bar,  there  was  much  moving  forward  of 
attorneys,  a  general  shifting  of  positions  inside  the 
railing  and  one  of  the  best  lawyers  in  the  state  arose 
with: 

"May  it  please  the  Court  we  move  for  a  dismissal 
of  the  case!" 

The  judge  looked  up  from  the  docket. 

"On  what  grounds?"  he  asked. 

"That  the  indictment  is  not  specifically  drawn  in 
accordance  with  the  information." 

"Mr.  Clerk,  read  the  indictment!"  ordered  the  Court. 

The  clerk  droned  through  a  long  legal  document  in 
which  James  R.  Kane,  a  wealthy  race-track  owner, 
was  charged  with  violating  the  law  prohibiting  gamb- 
ling. Then,  upon  order  of  the  Court,  the  information 
was  read  in  which  it  was  charged  that  Kane  had  con- 
tinually and  repeatedly  defied  the  law,  and  specific 
cases  were  given. 


LAW  AND  PRACTICE  45 

** Counsel  for  the  defense  may  present  the  case!" 
ordered  the  Court. 

Nearly  two  hours  were  consumed  in  the  arguments 
that  followed  and  the  case  was  finally  dismissed  on  a 
technicality  and  the  prosecuting  attorney  ordered  to 
draw  a  second  Indictment.  Gathering  up  their  books, 
Kane's  attorneys  left  the  courtroom  with  their  client, 
entered  a  waiting  automobile  and  were  quickly  whirled 
away. 

Several  more  criminal  cases  were  called,  all  of  which 
were  nolle  prossed,  and  the  clerk  announced  that  the 
criminal  docket  was  cleared.  Lapng  aside  the  book 
upon  tvhich  he  had  been  making  entries  and  taking 
up  another,  the  judge  announced: 

"The  court  will  now  take  up  the  civil  docket.  Mr. 
Sheriff,  you  may  call  the  case  of  Ransom  vs.  Thorn." 

Again  there  was  a  general  moving  about  of  attorneys 
and  a  moving  up  of  spectators.  This  was  a  case 
involving  the  rights  of  certain  heirs  to  a  vast  estate  and 
had  been  dragging  along  in  the  courts  for  nearly  a 
dozen  years.  The  parties  were  all  prominent,  and  as 
the  amount  involved  was  up  in  the  millions,  great 
interest  was  manifested.  After  a  moment's  delay,  in 
which  the  court  was  busy  with  the  docket,  a  young 
attorney  stepped  forward  with: 

"If  it  please  the  Court,  the  plaintiffs  will  ask  that 
the  case  be  dismissed  upon  payment  of  costs.  The 
matter  can  be  adjusted  out  of  court." 

The  judge  looked  up  in  surprise.  As  his  eyes  met 
those  of  the  young  lawyer  he  smiled  a  pleasant  greeting: 

"The  Court  is  most  agreeably  surprised  and  pleased 


46  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

to  make  the  order,  Mr.  Winslow.  I  hope  your  settle- 
ment is  equitable?" 

"The  plaintiffs  have  been  given  even  more  than 
they  asked,"  was  the  reply. 

The  order  of  dismissal  was  recorded  and  the  next  case 
was  called,  while  the  attorneys  for  both  Ransom  and 
Thorn  passed  out  of  the  court  and  into  an  office  across 
the  street,  where  their  clients  were  awaiting  them.  As 
*hey  entered  the  office,  they  were  greeted  by  a  number 
of  young  people  gathered  about  the  chair  of  a  white- 
haired  man,  who  seemed  the  happiest  one  in  the 
gathering. 

"Tell  us  all  about  it,  INIr.  Howard,"  said  a  dapper 
young  man  as  he  seized  the  elder  of  the  two  lawyers 
by  the  hand.     "Are  we  all  friends  again?" 

"Yes,  Judge,  is  the  terrible  case  dismissed?"  asked 
another  member  of  the  group,  also  addressing  the 
elder  attorney. 

"Ask  Mr.  Winslow,"  laughed  Judge  Howard.  "He 
did  the  business." 

"I  know  it's  all  right  if  Jack  looked  after  it!"  said 
another. 

"Yes,  Dorothy,  it's  all  right,"  said  the  young  attorney. 
"The  suit  has  been  dismissed  and  now  if  Mr.  Thorn 
will  give  me  a  check  for  the  costs  we  can  proceed 
just  as  though  the  misunderstanding  had  never  arisen." 

The  old  gentleman  took  a  check-book  out  of  his 
pocket  and  reached  over  to  the  desk  for  a  pen. 

"I  never  made  out  a  check  that  gave  me  such  satis- 
faction," he  said.  "If  I  had  known  as  much  ten  years 
ago  as  I  know  now,  I  could  have  saved  us  all  a  lot  of" 


LAW  AND  PRACTICE  47 

trouble.     Judge,  are  the  other  papers  ready  for  me  to 
sign  ?" 

"All  ready,  Mr.  Thorn." 

While  Mr.  Thorn  and  the  two  attorneys  were  com- 
pleting the  details  of  the  settlement,  the  young  people 
chatted  pleasantly  of  the  changed  state  of  affairs. 

"I  would  never  have  believed  that  any  one  could 
have  induced  Uncle  Roger  to  have  done  as  he  has," 
said  Mabel  Ransom,  a  stylish  young  woman  just  out 
of  her  teens. 

"Nor  I!"  said  her  brother  Ernest,  the  young  man 
who  had  first  addressed  Judge  Howard.  "But  since  I 
have  had  a  chance  to  become  better  acquainted  with 
him,  I  feel  that  he  is  a  fine  old  chap." 

"He's  one  of  the  kindest  of  men  when  you  come  to 
know  him,"  said  Alice  Thorn;  "but  when  he  thinks  he 
is  right  nothing  can  change  him." 

"That's  why  I  was  so  anxious  to  get  INIr.  Winslow 
to  take  the  case,"  said  Dorothy  Howercon.  "I  knew 
Jack  would  be  able  to  show  him  where  he  was  wrong." 

Mabel  exchanged  glances  with  her  brother  as  she 
exclaimed:  "Oh,  we  know  why  you  were  so  anxious  to 
have  Jack  take  the  case!"  laying  particular  emphasis  on 
Jack.  "But  it's  all  right,  Dorothy,  so  long  as  he  has 
succeeded  in  getting  Uncle  Roger  to  give  us  what  is 
due  us." 

Dorothy's  cheeks  grew  pink,  but  she  simply  said: 
"If  he  hadn't  been  satisfied  that  what  we  claimed  really 
was  due  us,  he  wouldn't  have  taken  the  case  at  all.'* 

"What,  not  even  for  you,  Dorothy?"  asked  Alice. 

Dorothy  was  saved  the  necessity  of  answering  by 


48  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

Judge  Howard  saying:  "Miss  Ransom,  will  you  and 
your  brother  please  sign  these  papers." 

While  Mabel  and  Ernest  were  affixing  their  signa- 
tures, Dorothy  was  saying  to  the  young  lawyer:  "It 
has  been  a  wonderful  demonstration,  Jack;  but  I  knew 
you  could  do  it!" 

"Then  it's  really  you,  Dorothy,  who  have  brought 
about  this  harmonious  result  instead  of  I.  It  is  your 
demonstration  instead  of  mine." 

"No,  Jack,  it's  your  good  thought — your  clear 
understanding  of  divine  Principle,  Love,  which  has 
enabled  you  to  apply  the  Golden  Rule!" 

"Let  us  rather  say,  Dorothy,  that  it  was  our  declara- 
tion of  the  impersonal  Truth — the  understanding  that 
evil  is  not  power,  that  has  brought  about  this  change 
in  Mr.  Thorn  and  made  him  willing  to  give  you  that 
which  is  rightfully  yours." 

Judge  Howard  interrupted  them  with:  "Now,  Miss 
Howerton,  it's  your  turn!"  and  as  Dorothy  seated  her- 
self at  the  desk:  "Sign  on  the  bottom  line  please. 
There,  that's  all.  And  here,  Mr.  Winslow,"  folding 
the  papers  and  handing  them  to  John,  "are  the  docu- 
ments wliich  give  the  Ransom  heirs  even  more  than 
what  they  have  so  long  contended  for." 

"And,  furthermore,  Mr.  Winslow,"  continued  Mr. 
Thorn  rising  from  his  chair  and  extending  his  hand, 
"I  want  to  say  to  you  that  I  am  just  as  glad  to  have 
this  matter  settled  as  your  clients  can  possibly  be.  I 
have  not  only  relieved  myself  of  a  great  responsibility 
— the  management  of  a  large  estate,  but  I  have  acquired 
a  new  nephew  and  some  nieces  in  whom  I  am  sure  I 
shall  have  the  greatest  pleasure.     Now  if  you'll  find 


LAW  AND  PRACTICE  49 

places  in  my  car,  I  shall  be  pleased  to  entertain  you 
all  at  dinner  in  the  city." 

John  was  about  to  voice  his  appreciation  of  Mr. 
Thorn's  words  when  Judge  Howard  interrupted  by 
saying: 

"If  you'll  kindly  excuse  us  this  evening,  Mr.  Thorn, 
there  are  some  matters  of  great  importance  to  both  of 
us,  that  I  must  talk  over  with  Mr.  Winslow." 

"Just  as  you  say!  Just  as  you  say!"  replied  Mr. 
Thorn.  "I  don't  envy  Winslow  his  talk  with  you. 
I've  had  too  many  of  them.  I'm  glad  he's  got  the 
estate  to  look  after  and  not  I." 

Then  to  the  young  people:  "I'm  sure  the  rest  of  you 
won't  allow  bus  ness  to  interfere  with  your  taking 
dinner  with  your  old  uncle  ?" 

"No,  indeed,  Uncle  Roger,"  exclaimed  Mabel, 
"there's  something  about  a  lawyer's  office  that  always 
did  make  me  hungry." 

"It's  in  the  atmosphere,  eh.  Judge?"  and  Mr.  Thorn 
led  the  way  out  laughing  at  his  witticism. 

"Now,  Mr.  Winslow,"  began  Judge  Howard  after 
John  had  shown  the  party  out,  "suppose  we  retire  to 
your  private  office  for  a  few  minutes." 

"I'm  afraid  I  am  not  yet  familiar  enough  with  the 
details  of  the  affairs  of  the  estate  to  discuss  them  intel- 
ligently," explained  John  as  he  led  the  way  to  a  rear 
room. 

"What  I  have  to  say,"  explained  Judge  Howard  as 
he  took  the  chair  John  pushed  forward,  "has  nothing 
whatever  to  do  with  the  settlement  of  the  case,  although 
in  the  long  run  it  may  have.  What  I  have  to  say  con- 
cerns you  and  me  alone.'* 


50  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

John  turned  from  the  desk  at  which  he  had  seated 
himself  and  regarded  the  speaker  intently. 

"As  you  can  see,  Mr.  Winslow,  I  am  getting  along 
in  life.  I  have  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  in 
this  state  for  nearly  thirty-five  years.  I  hav«  »  Urge 
clientele  and  am  accounted  successful.  As  a  matter 
of  fact,  I  have  more  to  attend  to  than  I  want.  I 
should  like  to  gradually  withdraw  and  devote  my 
declining  years  to  the  study  of  some  truths  that  have 
recently  been  forcing  themselves  upon  me.  I  want  a 
young  man  to  take  my  place.  You  are  the  young  man 
I  want!" 

Judge  Howard  had  been  so  plainly  leading  up  to 
this  point,  that  even  before  the  words  ^  ^ere  spoken  John 
had  guessed  their  conclusion;  but  he  was  none  the 
less  surprised.  Neither  would  he  have  been  human  had 
he  not  felt  a  certain  pride  at  the  offer,  for  Judge  How- 
ard was  recognized  as  the  leading  lawyer  of  western 
Missouri,  and  had  never  been  permanently  associated 
with  any  other  attorney,  although  many  had  aspired  to 
such  a  connection. 

"You  do  me  great  honor.  Judge  Howard!"  John 
exclaimed  after  a  silence  of  several  minutes.* 'But  I  am 
not  certain  that  I  am  equal  to  your  expectations  and 
demands." 

"I  feel  sure  that  you  are,  Mr.  Winslow!  I  have 
watched  you  ever  since  you  came  to  Jackson  county 
six  or  seven  years  ago.  I  appreciated  the  wisdom  of 
your  action  when  you  opened  an  office  here  instead  of 
in  the  larger  city.  Of  course,  with  the  country  becom- 
ing so  thickly  settled,  there  was  bound  to  be  plenty  of 
business  for  the  right  man.     You  have  already  proved 


LAW  AND  PRACTICE  « 

it.  But  now  it  is  time  for  you  to  go  into  the  city.  I 
know  of  no  one  who  can  make  you  a  better  offer. 
What  do  you  say  ?" 

Again  there  was  a  brief  pause  and  then  John  said 
slowly: 

"There  is  no  one,  Judge,  with  whom  I  would  rather 
be  associated,  and  no  offer  could  be  more  flattering. 
But  before  I  can  become  associated  with  any  one,  he 
must  know  my  reasons  for  entering  the  law  and  my 
idea  of  how  it  should  be  practiced — because  I  am  going 
to  practice  it  along  this  line  or  not  at  all." 

"I  hope  you  have  no  Quixotic  notion  of  taking  only 
the  cases  of  the  so-called  down-trodden.  That  is,  of 
persons  who  are  continually  declaring  that  the  courts 
are  unfair  and  that  they  cannot  get  justice." 

"Not  at  all,  Judge!  I  have  gone  into  the  practice  of 
law  with  the  belief  that  the  courts  are  fair — in  just  so  far 
as  they  are  able  to  get  tl  e  real  facts  in  any  case;  but  I 
have  also  gone  into  the  practice  of  law  in  the  belief — 
yes,  in  the  absolute  knowledge — that  there  is  just  as 
much  justice  out  of  the  courts  as  there  is  in  them;  that 
good  is  more  powerful  than  evil  and  that  justice  is  a 
condition  of  thought  rather  than  a  system  of  material 
equity." 

"You  seem  to  have  proven  that  in  the  case  we  have 
just  disposed  of,"  interrupted  the  Judge. 

"I  think  so.  The  courts  might  have  compelled  Mr. 
Thorn  to  have  given  his  nieces  and  nephew  that  part  of 
their  grandfather's  estate  to  which  I  am  satisfied  they 
were  entitled,  but  no  court  could  have  compelled  him  to 
become  friendly  with  these  heirs,  or  have  made  hina 
believe  that  justice  was  being  done. 


Sf  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"In  our  national,  state  and  municipal  governments," 
continued  John,  "we  have  a  department  of  justice.  I 
hope  to  see  the  day  when  such  a  department  will  be 
done  away  with — " 

"What?"  ejaculated  Judge  Howard.  "You  hope 
to  see  our  courts  of  law  abolished!" 

"Permit  me  to  finish  my  statement,  Judge.  I  say 
I  hope  to  see  the  day  when  we  shall  no  longer  have  a 
department  of  justice — because  it  will  be  no  longer 
needed.  In  place  of  simply  a  department,  I  hope  the 
time  will  come,  and  that  speedily,  when  the  entire 
nation  will  become  an  institution  of  justice,  whose 
courts  shall  be  in  the  conscience  of  every  citizen." 

"I  am  afraid  such  a  time  is  a  long  way  off!"  ex- 
claimed Judge  Howard. 

"As  men  reckon  time,  possibly,"  replied  Jolm,  "but 
not  as  time  is  reckoned  by  God,  with  whom  a  thousand 
years  is  but  as  a  day.  Yet  even  as  we  compute  time, 
that  day  need  not  be  far  distant  if  men  will  only  try  a 
little  harder  to  practice  the  Golden  Rule.  My  ances- 
tors helped  to  found  a  nation  upon  this  basis,  but  we 
have  largely  departed  from  it." 

"With  such  thoughts  as  these,  Mr.  Winslow,  I  am 
surprised  that  you  took  up  the  practice  of  law  at  all!" 

"I  do  not  see  why  you  should  be.  It  seems  to  me 
that  I  am  especially  qualified  to  practice  law;  for  what 
is  the  real  object  of  the  courts  ?" 

"Broadly  speaking,"  answered  Judge  Howard,  "I 
should  say  to  administer  justice.  More  specifically 
speaking,   to   settle   disputes   as   to  what  is   justice." 

"Exactly!"  exclaimed  John.  "Now,  then,  am  I  not 
well  qualified  to  help  settle  disputes,  when  I  practice 


LAW  AND  PRACTICE  53 

before  the  court  of  justice  in  every  man's  conscience. 
And  besides,  Judge,  you  will  agree  that  human  law  can 
only  be  effective  when  in  accord  with  divine  law!" 

Judge  Howard  looked  at  the  young  man  quizzi- 
cally for  several  minutes  and  rubbed  his  chin  in  a 
thoughtful  manner.  At  length  a  broad  smile  spread 
itself  over  his  face  as  he  said: 

"I  am  afraid  it  would  be  pretty  one-sided  justice  we 
would  get  in  the  majority  of  such  courts — " 

"At  first,  perhaps,"  interrupted    John. 

"But,"  continued  the  Judge  without  noticing  the 
interruption,  "if  every  lawyer  should  take  to  practic- 
ing in  these  individual  courts,  our  present  courts  would 
soon  be  out  of  business." 

"That's  just  what  I  meant  when  I  said  I  hoped  to 
see  the  day  when  departments  of  justice  would  be 
abolished." 

"There  would  have  to  be  a  big  revision  of  the  laws 
and  the  rules  of  practice,  I'm  thinking,"  continued 
Judge  Howard.     "It  would  be  a  great  change!" 

"Yes,"  said  John  earnestly,  "a  great  change.  But 
it  would  need  no  revision  of  the  laws,  simply  a  change 
in  the  rules  of  practice.  The  law  for  these  courts  is 
already  written.  It  is  the  law  of  God — the  law  of  Love. 
Its  rules  of  practice  are  found  in  the  great  statute  book, 
the  Bible,  and  are  as  follows:  'Love  thy  neighbor  as  thy- 
self.' 'Do  good  to  them  that  despitefully  use  you  and 
persecute  you.'  Jesus  said:  'AH  things  Avhatsoever 
ye  would  that  men  should  do  to  you,  do  ye  even  so  to 
them;  for  this  is  the  law  and  the  prophets;'  and  Paul 
declared  in  his  epistle  to  the  Galatians:  'For  all  the 
law  is  fulfilled  in  one  word,  even  in  this;  Thou  shalt 


54  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself :  these  constitute  the  only 
law  and  these  the  rules  of  practice,  because  they  are 
given  by  the  only  Law-giver — omnipotent,  omniscient, 
divine  Mind.  And  this.  Judge  Howard,  is  the  kind 
of  law;  these  the  rules  of  practice  that  I  propose  to 
follow." 

"And  as  a  natural  consequence  you  propose  to 
settle  most  of  your  cases  out  of  court?" 

"In  the  ordinary  sense,  yes!"  replied  John.  "But 
still  not  out  of  court." 

Judge  Howard's  eyes  twinkled,  but  he  only  said: 

"Well,  I  am  sure  I  see  no  objection  to  such  a  method. 
The  most  successful  lawyer  is  the  one  who  is  obliged  to 
try  the  fewest  cases;  but  I  have  been  practicing  law 
nearly  thirty-five  years  and  I  find  I  can  get  quicker 
settlements  through  the  courts." 

"How  about  the  case  of  Ransom  vs.  Thorn.'*  That 
has  been  in  the  courts  upwards  of  a  dozen  years,"  said 
John,  "while  I,"  and  he  glanced  casually  at  a  calendar 
hanging  on  the  wall,  "I've  been  in  this  case  exactly 
nineteen  days.     Which  was  the  quicker  way  ?" 

"But  you  won't  always  be  able  to  get  at  your  men  as 
easily  as  you  were  Mr.  Thorn." 

"Perhaps  not;  but  I  think  I  shall  if  I  bring  my  suit 
in  a  court  where  only  the  law  of  love  is  practiced — the 
law  of  'love  your  neighbor  as  yourself.'  " 

Again  Judge  Howard  looked  at  the  young  lawyer 
with  that  searching  glance  which  had  come  to  him  with 
long  years  of  dealing  with  all  sorts  of  men. 

"Mr.  Winslow,"  he  at  length  said,  "several  times 
you  have  used  the  expression  'love  your  neighbor  as 
yourself,'  as  if  you  thought  such  a  thing  not  only  a  pos- 


LAW  AND  PRACTICE  55 

sibility,  but  reasonably  easy  of  accomplishment.  I 
must  confess  that  to  me  it  seems  an  impossibility." 

John  smiled  broadly:  "Possibly  because  you  do  not 
look  at  your  neighbor  rightly.  As  you  look  about  you 
it  is  likely  that  you  see  simply  men,  while  I,  partially  at 
least,  see  man  in  the  image  and  likeness  of  God." 

"I  am  afraid  your  words  do  not  mean  much  to  me, 
Mr.  Winslow." 

"I  will  try  and  be  a  little  more  clear.  I  mean  that 
you  look  upon  your  fellow-beings  as  men  with  minds 
many.  I  look  upon  man  as  the  compound  idea  of  God, 
reflecting  the  one  omnipresent  Mind.  Now  then,  just 
in  the  proportion  that  men  reflect  that  one  Mind,  they 
are  alike.  They  think  alike  and  act  alike;  they  have 
the  same  pleasures,  hopes  and  desires — in  short  are 
alike.  Furthermore,  if  you  and  I  both  think  alike.  I 
shall  hold  just  the  same  thoughts  for  you  that  I  do  for 
myself  and  vice  versa.  In  that  way  I  shall  love  you, 
my  neighbor,  as  I  do  myself." 

"Then  the  way  to  love  your  neighbor  as  yourself — ?" 
queried  the  Judge. 

"Is  to  divest  yourself  of  the  belief  in  many  minds," 
continued  John,  "and  to  realize  that  there  is  but  one 
Mind — one  God — and  that  man  reflects  that  Mind." 

Judge  Howard  remained  silently  thoughtful  for  some 
minutes.     At  length  he  said: 

"Our  talk  seems  to  have  drifted  from  law  and  busi- 
ness to  theology  and  religion." 

"It  is  all  one  to  me,"  replied  John.  "I  try  to  make 
Love  my  law,  and  my  religion  a  part  of  my  business." 

""And  might  I  enquire,"  said  Judge  Howard  earnestly, 
"where  you  get  such  theology — such  religion.^" 


56  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"Out  of  the  Bible  to  be  sure.     I  have  a  key  to  the 

scriptures — " 

At  the  word  "key"  a  great  light  broke  over  Judge 
Howard's  face  and  he  exclaimed  suddenly: 

"I  knew  it!     I  was  sure  of  it!" 

"Sure  of  what?"  queried  John,  considerably  sur- 
prised at  the  vehemence  of  the  Judge's  outburst. 
Judge  Howard  did  not  heed  the  interruption  but  con- 
tinued with  great  satisfaction: 

"It's  all  plain  to  me — your  words  and  ideas.  I 
don't  see  why  I  did  not  recognize  them  sooner.  My 
only  excuse  is  that  my  knowledge  of  this  religion, 
which  has  so  changed  the  thought  of  the  world  during 
the  last  fifty  odd  years,  is  comparatively  slight.  It  is 
only  within  the  last  few  weeks  that  I  have  begun  to 
look  into  it  and  ponder  over  its  teachings.  But  I 
must  know  more  of  it.  How  long  have  you  been  study- 
ing these  truths  ?" 

John  was  quick  to  recognize  the  new  tongue  and 
that  they  were  now  on  common  ground.  In  answer 
to  Judge  Howard's  question,  he  therefore  replied: 

"All  my  life.  I  never  knew  anything  else.  I  have 
never  thought  any  other  way.  As  a  child  I  was  taught 
to  love  my  neighbor  as  myself,  and  I  was  taught  that 
to  love  means  to  speak  no  evil,  to  see  no  evil,  to  think 
no  evil  of  or  about  any  one.  To  the  best  of  my  under- 
standing I  have  tried  to  live  up  to  this  rule.  As  a 
result,  I  have  found  that  in  every  man's  consciousness 
there  is  plenty  of  good,  if  we  only  refuse  to  recognize 
the  evil  which  seems  so  real,  but  which  cannot  be 
real,  because  God  made  man  in  His  image,  good,  and 
there  is   no  power  to   make  him  evil.     This   under- 


LAW  AND  PRACTICE  67 

standing  has  enabled  me,  so  far,  to  settle  all  my  cases 
in  the  court  of  conscience,  through  the  law  of  God  as 
given  by  Moses  and  Christ  Jesus." 

"You  speak  of  the  law  given  by  Moses  and  Christ 
Jesus  as  though  it  were  the  same.  Most  people  think 
that  Jesus  gave  a  new  dispensation." 

"Not  as  I  understand  it.  Judge.  The  'Thou  shall 
not '  of  the  decalogue  is  identical  to  me  with  the  '  Blessed 
are  they'  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount.  'Thou  shalt 
have  no  other  gods  before  me'  is  but  a  way  of  saying: 
'Come  unto  me  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden 
and  I  will  give  you  rest,'  because  if  we  know  no  God 
but  Love,  we  shall  live  in  perfect  harmony — free  from 
all  sickness,  sin  and  death — and  have  perfect  and 
enduring  rest." 

Judge  Howard  listened  to  the  young  man  with  the 
closest  attention.  After  a  pause  he  said:  "It  strikes 
me  you  should  have  been  a  preacher  instead  of  a 
lawyer." 

"I  try  to  be  that,  too,  in  a  way,"  declared  John.  "I 
have  been  taught  that  the  most  powerful  sermons  are 
those  preached  by  the  practice  of  truth.  Our  Master 
said:  'Let  your  light  so  shine,  that  men  seeing  your 
good  works  will  glorify  your  Father  which  is  in 
heaven.'  " 

"And  are  you  never  sick?" 

"I  never  had  a  sick  day  in  my  life.  Judge.  I  am 
sure  these  good  thoughts  are  a  protection;  for  to  me, 
thinking  good  thoughts  means  living  near  to  God. 

"And  now,"  continued  John,  "you  know  why  I 
studied  law.  It  was  that  I  might  be  permitted  to 
practice  in  our  present  courts  and  thus  be  better  able 


58  THE  PEACEIMAKERS 

to  find  opportunity  to  practice  in  the  courts  of  human 
consciousness.  In  all  cases  that  come  to  me,  my  first 
and  greatest  endeavor  shall  be  to  settle  them  as  we 
have  just  settled  the  case  of  Ransom  vs.  Thorn.  If, 
under  these  conditions,  you  would  still  like  to  have  me 
join  you,  I  shall  consider  it  a  great  honor." 

"My  boy,"  said  Judge  Howard  rising  and  extending 
his  hand,  "now  more  than  ever.  The  firm  of  Howard 
and  Winslow  shall  be  the  pioneer  practitioners  in  the 
court  of  conscience." 


CHAPTER  IV 


THE    LEES 


Everybody  in  Dixie  knows  the  Lees.  From  the 
time  of  Lighthorse  Harry,  the  Lees  have  been  fighters. 
Never  since  the  days  of  Washington  has  the  family 
been  without  its  representative,  either  in  the  army  or 
navy.  When  there  was  a  wrong  to  be  righted,  or  a 
principle  to  be  supported,  the  Lees  have  always  been 
ready,  sword  in  hand,  to  stand  for  what  they  believed 
to  be  right;  and  no  sacrifice,  even  to  their  heart's  blood, 
has  been  considered  too  great.  In  the  councils  of  war, 
too,  the  Lees  have  always  ranked  high.  They  have 
been  born  leaders,  and  their  war-like  abilities  have 
always  been  tempered  with  gentleness,  courtesy  and 
absolute  justice. 

Besides  being  a  family  with  a  war-like  record,  it  is 
likewise  a  family  of  many  branches.  No  matter  in 
what  part  of  the  Southland  you  go  you  will  find  Lees. 
In  some  cities  and  sections,  but  one  household;  in 
others,  several.  Some  branches  have  gone  west  and 
some  have  gone  away  north;  but  wherever  found,  as 
a  rule,  its  members  will  prove  to  be  imbued  with  the 
same  pronounced  characteristics  that  have  made  its 
best  known  representatives  such  prominent  figures  in 
the  history  of  the  nation,  in  support  of  their  highest 
sense  of  righteous  judgment. 

59 


60  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

In  the  nation's  capital  there  have  always  been 
numerous  representatives  of  this  large  and  character- 
istically American  family.  While  some  have  been 
more  actively  conspicuous  than  others  in  the  affairs  of 
the  nation,  not  one  of  them  but  in  the  family  circle  has 
taken  the  deepest  interest  in  ever}i:hing  pertaining  to 
the  national  weal.  And  so  in  the  spring  of  1923  when 
the  friendly  relations  which  had  existed  between  the 
United  States  and  a  neighboring  nation  for  over  a 
century  became  strained,  none  were  more  absorbed  in 
the  details  than  Stuart  Lee  and  his  little  family,  wliich 
consisted  of  his  wife,  a  daughter  and  Ephraim  Stuart, 
a  bachelor  uncle  on  his  mother's  side,  who  had  made 
his  home  with  the  Lees  for  the  past  four  or  five  years. 

Uncle  Eph,  as  he  was  familiarly  called,  was  a  char- 
acter. Also  from  a  race  of  fighters,  he  was  a  fighter 
still;  and  in  any  discussion  which  might  arise  he  was 
invariably  the  leader  of  the  war  party.  He  had  learned 
his  history  from  the  newspapers,  and  the  newspapers 
were  his  sole  authority  for  everything. 

When  this  international  trouble  had  arisen  the  pre- 
vious summer  in  a  dispute  over  the  use  of  the  Panama 
Canal  by  the  warships  of  the  various  nations,  not  only 
Uncle  Eph,  but  the  others,  read  with  interest  the  details 
of  every  step  in  the  controversy.  When  the  situation 
was  further  aggravated  by  a  direct  violation  of  the 
neutrality  laws  in  the  case  of  a  couple  of  warring  South 
American  republics,  the  Lee  family  had  been  among 
the  most  eager  to  get  every  bit  of  news;  and  when  in  a 
message  to  congress  that  winter,  the  president  had 
recommended  more  warships  and  suggested  the  placing 
of   armed   vessels   on  the  great  lakes   to   protect  the 


THE  LEES  01 

increasing  commerce,  due  to  the  recently  completed 
great  waterway  from  the  lakes  to  the  gulf,  the  family 
had  read  the  message  with  the  deepest  interest  and 
immediately  divided  itself  into  factions  over  the  wisdom 
of  such  action.  Uncle  Eph  favored  the  plan,  but  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Lee  and  their  daughter  Lucy,  an  intellectual 
and  cultured  girl,  were  opposed  to  the  suggestion. 

"It  would  be  a  violation  of  the  treaty  of  1812,"  said 
Lucy,  as  she  and  her  mother  and  Uncle  Eph  lingered 
over  the  breakfast  table  after  Mr.  Lee  had  gone  to  his 
business,  "and  would  be  equivalent  to  a  declaration  of 
war." 

"It  would  be  no  more  of  a  violation  of  the  treaty 
than  the  things  already  done  by  the  other  side," 
declared  Uncle  Eph. 

"I  am  sure  you  are  wrong.  Uncle,"  said  Mrs.  Lee 
glancing  over  the  coffee  pot  and  speaking  with  a  quick 
decision.  "You  Stuarts  have  always  been  for  settling 
disputes  with  the  sword,  but  you  ought  now  to  realize 
that  the  time  is  rapidly  approaching  when  such  methods 
will  be  entirely  out  of  mind." 

"Why  cannot  this  entire  matter  be  settled  by  the 
Hague  tribunal  ?"  asked  Lucy. 

"Up  to  the  present  time,"  said  Uncle  Ephraim,  "the 
Hague  tribunal  has  occupied  itself  principally  in 
making  arrangements  for  war.  It  has  taken  several 
steps  toward  the  making  of  war  less  barbarous,  but 
comparatively  little  toward  preventing  war.  Really 
it  has  simply  made  war  less  dangerous  and  therefore 
more  inviting." 

"Yes,"  said  Mrs.  Lee,  "the  most  it  has  done  has 
been  to  determine  conditions  of  peace  after  war  has 


62  TPIE  PEACEMAKERS 

been  fought.  But  it  has  settled  some  minor  troubles; 
why  not  this?" 

"Principally,"  replied  Uncle  Eph,  "because  the 
two  greatest  nations  on  earth  are  now  the  interested 
parties,  and  the  tribunal,  therefore,  lacks  the  ability  to 
enforce  its  decision.  When  the  great  nations  agree 
they  can  compel  the  little  fellows  to  obey;  but  when  the 
big  ones  fall  out,  then  they  resort  to  the  sword  to  settle 
their  differences." 

"Alas!"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Lee.  "Alas,  that  mankind 
should  take  a  material  sword  to  slay  error,  when  the 
two  edged  sword  of  truth  destroys  it  so  much  more 
effectually.  Why  cannot  men  see  that  the  peace  that 
comes  through  war  is  no  peace." 

"What's  that  ?"  exclaimed  Uncle  Eph.  "Peace  that 
comes  through  war  no  peace?  Look  at  our  relations 
with  Spain  since  the  war  of  1898.     Perfectly  peaceful!" 

"Apparently  so,  Uncle  Ephraim!  Apparently  so!" 
said  Mrs.  Lee.  "But  you  know  that  the  people  of 
Spain  have  been  thinking  anger  and  revenge  towards 
us  ever  since.  And  if  the  truth  were  told,  that  war  and 
its  results  are  the  cause  of  our  present  trouble." 

"I  don't  see  that,"  said  Uncle  Eph  pausing  with 
his  fork  poised  in  mid-air.  "How  do  you  figure  it 
out?" 

"Chiefly  because  of  our  easy  victory.  Had  our  war 
with  Spain  cost  us  dear,  we  should  have  about  done 
away  with  the  idea  of  war.  I  have  heard  your  sister 
Martha  say  that  for  years  after  the  war  of  secession 
the  mass  of  the  American  people  had  come  to  believe 
that  the  United  States  would  never  have  another  war. 
The  cost  of  that  war  in  blood  and  treasure  was  enor- 


THE  LEES  68 

mous  and  they  wanted  no  more  of  it.  But  ever  since 
our  easy  victory  over  Spain,  the  war  sentiment  has 
been  stronger;  so  that  the  peace  brought  by  that  war 
has  proven  an  evil." 

Uncle  Eph  laughed^  and  his  laughter  had  in  it  a 
ring  of  national  pride. 

"Yes,  Spain  was  easy.  I'll  never  forget  when  we 
got  the  news  of  the  battle  of  Manilla  and  that  Dewey 
had  sunk  the  whole  of  the  Spanish  fleet  without  losing 
a  man.  I  tell  you  it  was  great!  And  then  the  follow- 
ing Fourth  of  July  when  Admiral  Schley  cleaned  up 
Cervera's  ships  at  Santiago — " 

"Sampson,  you  mean,"  interrupted  Lucy,  "Admiral 
Sampson." 

"Now,  who  ever  told  you  that?"  asked  Uncle  Eph. 

"Why,  I  read  it  in  history!" 

"Well,  your  history's  wrong.  Sampson  had  gone  off 
on  a  cruise  after  water,  or  coal  or  something  when  the 
Spaniards  came  out  and  tried  to  run  the  blockade. 
Schley  was  there  with  the  Brooklyn  and  some  of  the 
other  ships  and  got  after  them,  making  the  famous 
loop  that  is  considered  one  of  the  greatest  naval  maneu- 
vers of  the  age." 

"I  thought,"  interrupted  Mrs.  Lee,  "that  that  loop 
was  a  kind  of  an  accident.  Uncle  Ephraim." 

"Accident  nothing!  Schley  made  the  loop  so  he 
could  bring  all  his  guns  to  bear  upon  the  fleeing  vessels. 
Then  up  came  the  Oregon,  which  had  just  made  its 
famous  cruise  from  San  Francisco  around  Cape  Horn, 
and  without  even  stopping  for  coal  joined  in  the  fight 
and  ran  down  the  last  one  of  the  Spaniards.  I  tell  you 
it  was  great!" 


64  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

Lucy  smiled  at  Uncle  Eph's  history  while  Mrs.  Lee 
said  sadly: 

"Great  for  the  Americans,  yes;  but  how  about  the 
Spaniards  ?" 

"Oh,  well,  they  had  no  kick  coming.  We  took  the 
Filipinos  off  their  hands  and  gave  them  $20,000,000 
to  boot.  It  was  a  good  thing  for  them,  too;  but  it 
surely  was  easy!" 

"So  easy,"  continued  Mrs.  Lee,  "that  we  want  to 
try  our  new  navy — our  new  ships,  new  guns  and  new 
submarines  and  new  airships  on  bigger  game.  It's 
just  like  giving  a  boy  a  gun  and  starting  him  out. 
Everything  he  sees  becomes  a  target.  When  will  the 
nations  stop  thinking  war!" 

"Just  as  soon,"  declared  Lucy,  "as  people  begin  to 
think  peace." 

Uncle  Eph  picked  up  the  morning  paper  which  he 
had  thrown  down  when  he  began  his  breakfast  and 
pushed  back  his  chair. 

"When  you  and  your  mother  begin  talking  about 
thinking,"  he  said  rising,  "I'm  out  of  it.  It  looks 
foolish  to  me  to  even  suggest  that  people  won't  keep  on 
thinking:  about  their  troubles,  whether  it's  rheumatism 
or  war,  just  as  long  as  there  are  troubles  to  think  about. 
I  see  by  the  papers  there's  a  man  somewhere  out  in 
Missouri  making  speeches  just  like  you.  The  papers 
are  giving  him  a  lot  of  space,  because  he's  the  first 
fellow  to  use  this  kind  of  doctrine  in  politics,  I  suppose!" 

"I  don't  believe  I  understand  exactly  what  you  mean, 
Uncle  Ephraim,"  said  Mrs.  Lee,  "by  his  making  the 
same  kind  of  speeches  we  do.  Can't  you  be  a  little 
more  explicit?" 


THE  LEES  65 

"Why,  that  you  can  think  war  out  of  existence." 

"That  isn't  exactly  it,"  replied  Mrs.  Lee  with  a  smile. 
"You  must  not  only  think  peace,  but  strive  to  express 
your  thoughts  in  actions;  to  construct  peace,  as  it  were." 

"Well,  however  you  put  it,  this  chap  is  in  favor  of 
doing  it  that  way.  He's  not  only  opposed  to  putting 
war  vessels  on  the  lakes,  but  he's  opposed  to  all  talk 
about  war.  'Of  course,'  he  says,  *it's  proper  for  a 
time  to  have  navies  in  the  interest  of  peace,'  but  instead 
of  continually  adding  to  them,  he  thinks  we  should 
continually  keep  making  them  smaller  and  spend  the 
money  some  other  way.  First  one  nation,  he  says, 
increases  its  navy  and  then  another  increases  its,  so 
it'll  be  bigger,  and  so  on  until  the  ocean  ain't  big 
enough  to  hold  'em  all  and  then  they  want  to  put 
'em  on  the  lakes.  And  as  sure  as  we  have  'em,  we'll 
want  to  use  'em.  He  says  just  as  long  as  people 
think  war,  they'll  want  to  fight." 

"And  so,"  ventured  Mrs.  Lee,  "he  wants  people  to 
stop  thinking  war,  so  there'll  be  no  war!" 

"And  to  think  peace  so  that  there  will  be  peace!" 
added  Lucy. 

"That's  it;  but  it  looks  foolish  to  me.  Just  suppose 
we  did  away  with  our  na\y.  Why  England  or  Russia 
or  Germany  would  gobble  us  up  in  a  minute." 

"Suppose,"  said  Lucy,  "all  the  big  nations  should 
decide  to  disarm  at  the  same  time;  how  would  that 
work .?" 

"That  might  do,"  and  Uncle  Eph  slowly  scratched 
his  head,  "but  they  won't  do  that." 

"How  do  you  know  they  won't.''"  said  Mrs.  Lee. 
"When  England  and  the  United  States  decided  not  to 


66  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

keep  war  vessels  on  the  Great  Lakes,  were  not  both 
glad,  and  has  there  ever  been  any  need  of  them? 
Could  not  the  nations  all  agree  to  do  the  same  thing 
on  the  ocean?" 

"Yes,  they  could.  But  how  are  you  going  to  get 
them  to  do  it  ?" 

"By  beginning  right  away  to  think  about  doing  it. 
By  knowing  that  war  and  peace  are  conditions  of 
thought;  that  peace  is  good  while  war  is  evil, — as  any- 
one can  see;  that  peace  is  truth  and  war  is  error — as 
anyone  ought  to  see  if  they  will  only  stop  and  think; 
and  then  by  knowing  that  truth  must  and  eventually 
will  destroy  error.  In  short  by  all  becoming  of  one 
Mind." 

"And  do  you  think  that  would  do  away  with  war?" 
asked  Uncle  Eph,  increduously. 

"I  haven't  any  doubt  of  it,"  replied  Mrs.  Lee. 
"Why  if  every  one  began  to  think  peace  instead  of  war, 
and  saw  that  their  neighbors  were  thinking  the  same 
thing,  we  couldn't  get  rid  of  our  armies  and  navies 
soon  enough.  If  we  had  only  begun  to  think  it  harder 
years  ago,  we  might  have  made  much  greater  progress 
toward  peace." 

Uncle  Eph  laughed:  "That  sounds  good;  but  it's 
unnatural!" 

"Why  should  good  seem  more  unnatural  than  evil?" 
asked  Mrs.  Lee. 

"I  don't  know,  but  it  does!" 

"Why,  Uncle  Eph,  you  know  better!"  exclaimed 
Lucy  in  the  most  intense  surprise.  "I  can't  for  the 
life  of  me  see  where  you  get  such  queer  ideas.  How 
can  anyone  think  that  trouble,  evil,  war,  sin,  sickness 


THE  LEES  67 

and  all  the  rest  are  natural,  when  we  know  that  God 
is  the  source  of  all  being  and  that  He  is  infinite  good. 
You  have  such  a  funny  way  of  looking  at  things,  Uncle 
Eph!"  and  Lucy  burst  into  a  merry  little  laugh  as  her 
uncle  hastily  left  the  room  remarking: 

"There's  no  use  in  talking  with  you.  That's  the 
way  you  always  end — by  thinking  I  must  be  different 
from  everyone  else." 

"What  makes  Uncle  Eph  have  such  funny  ideas, 
mother.'*"  asked  Lucy  after  her  uncle  had  departed 
from  the  house. 

"Because,"  replied  her  mother,  "he  has  never  been 
taught  differentlv.  I  used  to  think  as  he  does  my- 
self." 

"What,  you,  mother?"  and  Lucy  arched  her  brows 
in  the  greatest  surprise.  "Why,  how  funny!  How 
did  you  ever  learn  such  things  ?" 

"Everyone  used  to  think  largely  along  the  same  lines 
when  I  was  a  girl.  There  were  very  few  who  thought 
differently.  I  only  took  up  this  study  a  couple  of 
years  before  you  were  born." 

"It  certainly  does  seem  strange,"  said  Lucy  medi- 
tatively. "Why  nearly  everyone  I  know,  thinks  as  I 
do." 

"True,  Lucy.  But  your  acquaintance  is  limited  to 
a  circle,  most  of  whom  have  been  brought  up  in  the 
same  line  of  thought.  The  world  at  large,  my  child, 
is  far  from  thinking  as  you  do;  in  fact  but  a  small 
minority,  as  yet,  hold  your  views.  But  the  growth  of 
the  thought  truly  has  been  wonderful,  when  we  consider 
what  it  has  been  necessary  to  overcome." 

"And    still    not   wonderful,    mother,    because    Grod» 


68  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

Truth,  is  the  only  power,  and  nothing  can  oppose 
Truth  and  Love!"  declared  Lucy  earnestly. 

"But  listen,"  she  suddenly  exclaimed  after  a  pause, 
"I  was  so  interested  in  our  discussion  about  national 
affairs  that  I  forgot  to  tell  you  I  had  a  letter  this  morn- 
ing from  Mabel  Ransom,  She  writes  that  a  cousin  of 
hers,  Miss  Dorothy  Howerton,  expects  to  pass  through 
Washington  next  week  and  she  wants  me  to  show  her 
about  the  city.  She  says  she  is  one  of  our  folks,  a 
Reciproca  graduate,  and  that  we'll  be  sure  to  like  her.'* 

"I  don't  think  there  is  any  doubt  of  that,  is  there, 
daughter  ?" 

Lucy  smiled.  "  It  does  seem  funny  for  anyone  to  say 
such  things,  doesn't  it,  mother,  when  I  love  everyone." 

"And,  therefore,  everyone  loves  you." 

"I  suppose  it  is  'therefore',  mother.  But  it  is  so 
natural  to  love  and  be  loved  that  I  hardly  ever  stop  to 
think  why.     I  just  seem  to  know  that  it  is." 

The  mother  stooped  and  touched  the  girl's  hair 
lightly  with  her  lips  as  she  arose  from  the  table. 

"It  is  the  proof  of  Immanuel,  God  with  us,"  she  said. 
"May  He  ever  keep  thee  pure  in  heart!" 

"And  I'll  write  to  Mabel  today,  mother,  that  we 
shall  certainly  look  after  her  cousin  if  she  will  let  us 
know  just  when  she  is  to  arrive." 

And  so  it  was  that  there  were  warm  hearts  awaiting 
her,  when  a  week  later,  Dorothy  Howerton  alighted 
from  a  train  at  the  union  station,  and  from  a  speeding 
taxicab  took  her  first  view  of  the  national  capital. 

On  one  side  of  the  Potomac  she  caugflit  glorious 
glimpses  of  the  Virginia  hills  verdant  in  their  dress  of 


THE  LEES  69 

green,  over  the  tips  of  which,  from  beautiful  Arlington, 
the  stars  and  stripes  were  waving.  On  the  other  side 
of  the  river,  through  the  long  vista  formed  by  the 
shade  trees  that  lined  the  avenue,  appeared  a  valley 
"green  walled  by  the  hills  of  Maryland,"  whose  azure 
crowns  proclaimed  them  part  of  the  picturesque  Blue 
Ridge.  In  the  valley,  between,  lay  the  city  of  Wash- 
ington, its  broad  streets,  well  kept  parks  and  snowy 
public  buildings  forming  a  gorgeous  panorama,  at  once 
the  idealism  of  nature  and  the  perfection  of  art. 

"It  reminded  me  of  the  city  lying  four  square,"  she 
said  in  giving  her  first  impression  of  Washington  to  a 
friend  some  time  later,  "for  it  is  certainly  The  City 
Beautiful.  With  such  surroundings  I  can  see  our  law- 
makers enacting  only  the  most  harmonious  legislation." 

"I  wish  I  had  your  perception,"  laughed  her  friend, 
"for  to  me  many  of  the  acts  of  our  national  law-makers 
contain  enough  miasma  to  have  come  out  of  the  atmo- 
sphere of  the  Dismal  Swamp," 

Arriving  at  the  hotel  at  which  she  had  been  advised 
to  stop,  Dorothy  found  it  crowded  with  visitors  who  had 
been  attracted  to  Washington  by  the  unusual  events 
of  the  last  few  weeks.  It  was  only  after  considerable 
delay  that  she  was  able  to  get  any  accommodations 
whatever,  and  these  most  unsatisfactory.  She  had  not 
yet  removed  her  hat  and  was  taking  a  survey  of  her 
surroundings,  when  the  phone  in  her  room  rang.  It 
was  the  office  announcing  a  visitor. 

"Who  is  it?"  asked  Dorothy. 

"Miss  Lucy  Lee!"  was  the  quick  response. 

"Mabel's  friend,"  was  Dorothy's  mental  comment. 


70  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

and  her  first  thought  was  to  ask  Lucy  to  wait  in  the 
parlor.  "Oh,  well,  what's  the  difference!"  was  her 
next  thought  and  then  to  the  telephone: 

"Ask  her  to  come  right  up!" 

"I  know  it's  a  most  unconventional  way  of  doing," 
she  said  a  couple  of  minutes  later  as  she  greeted  Lucy, 
in  the  door,  "but  really  I  felt  that  I  needed  some  help 
to  reconcile  me  to  these  apartments.  I  suppose  I 
should  have  had  foresight  enough  to  have  engaged  my 
rooms  ahead;  but  like  everyone  else  among  our  people, 
you  know,  I  have  been  just  as  busy  as  I  could  be." 

"I  know  all  about  it,"  responded  Lucy.  "It's  just 
the  same  with  us.  Every  minute  of  our  time  is  filled. 
But  isn't  it  a  beautiful  work — the  carrying  of  this 
healing  message  of  Truth  and  Love." 

The  young  women  had  met  on  a  common  ground. 
Had  they  known  each  other  from  childhood  they  could 
not  have  been  better  acquainted  or  more  interested  in 
each  other  than  they  were  from  that  moment.  They 
were  both  striving  to  reflect  the  one  Mind;  their  aims 
and  desires  were  alike,  and  a  bond  of  love  and  interest 
was  at  once  created  which  made  them  sisters  indeed. 
It  was  such  a  bond  as  sprang  up  between  David  and 
Jonathan,  where  we  read  that  while  David  spake  with 
Saul  the  "soul  of  Jonathan  was  knit  with  the  soul  of 
David."  It  was  such  a  friendship  as  comes  to  none 
outside  the  radiant  circle  of  divine  Love. 

Dorothy  looked  at  Lucy  for  several  moments  in 
silence,  noting  the  wondrous  beauty  of  her  face  and 
the  character  reflected  therein;  her  wealth  of  brown 
hair;  her  perfect  and  delicately  chiseled  features  aglow 
with  health,  and  her  deep  blue  eyes,  luminous  with 


THE  LEES  71 

spiritual  light.  Never  had  she  seen  a  creature  so  alto- 
gether lovely. 

Lucy's  words,  so  full  of  joy,  and  bearing  such  a 
loving  thought,  recalled  the  workers  she  had  left  behind 
in  the  great  west;  and  Dorothy  was  prompted  to  reply: 

"It  is  indeed  a  beautiful  work,  bringing  as  it  does 
not  only  health  and  happiness  to  those  who  receive, 
but  a  still  greater  blessing  to  those  who  give.  You, 
dear,  I  know  find  it  so.  How  long  have  you  been  in 
the  work.''" 

"I  was  born  in  it!  I  never  knew  anything  else!" 
replied  Lucy. 

"Your  words  remind  me  of  a  dear  friend,"  said 
Dorothy.  "Like  you  he  says  he  never  knew  anything 
else." 

"There  are  a  number  of  such  here  and  you  must 
know  them  all.  But  I  quite  forgot  in  looking  at  you 
why  I  came  in  such  a  hasty,  unconventional  manner. 
I  want  you  to  give  up  these  rooms  and  come  right  out 
with  us." 

"Oh,  impossible — "  began  Dorothy,  but  Lucy  held 
up  her  finger  with: 

"There  are  no  impossibilities,  you  know!" 

Lucy's  words  and  manner  were  irresistible  and  she 
led  the  way  down  to  the  office. 

"I  am  taking  away  one  of  your  guests,"  she  said  to 
the  young  man  at  the  desk.  "You  can  reassign  Miss 
Howerton's  room  and  order  her  baggage  sent  to  this 
address,"  handing  him  her  card. 

"Miss  Howerton  is  in  luck!"  exclaimed  the  clerk  as 
he  bestowed  an  admiring  look  upon  the  girl. 

"Oh,  I  am  so  glad  you  think  so!"  said  Lucy  inno- 


72  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

cently,  but  with  a  merry  twinkle  in  her  eye.     "And 
you'll  see  that  her  baggage  is  rushed  right  out,  won't 

"  'Deed  I  will!"  repUed  the  clerk.  "It'll  be  there 
before  you  are." 

As  they  hastened  from  the  desk  Dorothy  burst  into 
a  merry  laugh: 

"I  am  afraid  you  are  not  practicing  the  Golden 
Rule!"  she  exclaimed.  "Why,  that  young  man's 
slumbers  will  be  disturbed  for  weeks — " 

"Now,  Miss  Howerton!" 

"You  must  not  call  me  Miss  Howerton,"  said 
Dorothy  as  they  took  their  seats  in  the  automobile. 
"I  am  Dorothy  to  my  friends.  I  am  sure  I  never  could 
call  you  Miss  Lee,  for  in  spite  of  your  long  dresses  I 
am  not  certain  you  are  out  of  your  teens." 

"Three  long  years,"  said  Lucy.  "But  I  think  I 
never  shall  grow  very  old.  The  mortal  law  of  time  is 
one  I  am  learning  to  break.     But,  Miss  Howerton — " 

Dorothy  held  up  her  finger. 

"Dorothy,  I  mean,  although  Dorothy  doesn't  seem 
to  fit  you.     You  are  so  dignified." 

Dorothy  smiled.  "Not  dignified,  only  restrained. 
You  know  I  wasn't  born  into  this  thought  until  I  was 
a  dozen  years  old,  and  I  still  have  to  keep  a  strict 
watch  upon  myself  that  I  do  not  fall  back." 

"We  all  have  to  watch;  but  when  we  are  busy  doing 
good,  it  is  easy  not  to  think  evil.     Don't  you  find  it 

so  r 

"I  had  not  thought  of  it  in  just  that  way,"  replied 
Dorothy.     "But  it  is  true,  I  know." 

"And  here  we  are  at  home,"  declared  Lucy  as  the 


THE  LEES  73 

auto  suddenly  whirled  off  an  unfashionable  street — 
at  the  foot  of  which  one  caught  just  a  glimpse  of  the 
Potomac — and  stopped  before  a  most  unique  entrance 
on  Dumbarton  Avenue.  "We  do  not  live  in  a  very 
fashionable  neighborhood  you  see,  but  it's  a  great 
location  for  work." 

As  Lucy  said,  the  residence  of  the  Lees  was  not  in  a 
fashionable  part  of  Washington,  as  the  homestead  had 
been  in  possession  of  the  family  ever  since  the  days 
when  Georgetown  was  more  of  a  place  than  the  city 
of  which  it  is  now  a  part.  The  house,  a  large  and 
roomy  edifice  built  after  the  Southern  style,  with  great 
Corinthian  columns  and  a  wide  veranda,  was  situated 
upon  an  elevated  site,  which  in  the  early  days  had 
been  level  with  the  street.  When  modern  Washington 
was  constructed  and  the  streets  cut  down  to  grade,  the 
mansion  was  left  standing  high  in  the  air.  The  owner 
was  equal  to  the  emergency,  however,  and  constructed 
first  a  stone  wall  and  then  a  unique  entrance  with  wind- 
ing stone  steps  leading  up  on  each  side  parallel  with  the 
street.  At  the  top  was  a  landing  with  a  balustrade, 
from  which  another  broad  flight  of  steps  led  immedi- 
ately up  to  the  front  door.  Now  that  time  had  covered 
these  steps  and  the  walls  with  a  wealth  of  Virginia 
creeper  and  the  great  trees  had  grown  up  and  formed 
an  arch  over  the  street,  no  more  beautiful  spot  could  be 
found  in  this  city  of  beautiful  spots.  Both  the  creeper 
and  the  leaves  of  the  trees  were  glorious  with  vernal 
tints,  through  which  the  morning  sun  streamed  with  a 
mellow  light,  and  Dorothy  was  completely  entranced 
with  the  place.  As  she  followed  Lucy  up  the  broad 
steps  she  thought: 


74  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

**I  could  imagine  such  a  being  con?.ing  out  of  no 
other  surroundings." 

The  girls  were  met  at  the  door  by  Mrs.  Lee,  who 
gave  the  visitor  a  most  cordial  greeting,  and  in  the  hall 
by  Uncle  Eph,  who  had  been  awaiting  with  some 
impatience  and  much  curiosity  the  arrival  of  the  girl 
from  the  "wooly  west"  as  he  still  insisted  on  classifying 
the  city  at  the  mouth  of  the  Kaw. 

"I'm  right  glad  to  see  you.  Miss  Howerton,"  he  said. 
"I  used  to  know  some  Howertons  in  Kentucky  when  I 
was  a  young  man.     Are  they  any  kin  ?" 

"Oh,  yes,  indeed,  I  have  kinfolk  all  through  the 
south,  as  far  east  as  Virginia." 

Uncle  Eph's  face  wreathed  itself  in  smiles. 

"I  thought  you  might  be  the  same.  I  am  pleased  to 
know  you  come  of  good  stock.  Later,  I'll  be  glad  to 
hear  from  some  of  my  old  friends,"  and  Uncle  Eph 
took  his  newspaper  and  disappeared  in  the  library. 

"I  am  so  glad  Uncle  Ephraim  likes  you,"  said  Mrs. 
Lee.  "Not  having  learned  the  impersonality  of  error, 
he  sometimes  forms  strange  prejudices." 

"I  predict  he  and  I  will  become  great  chums,"  said 
Dorothy.  And  so  it  proved.  Not  only  did  Uncle  Eph 
enjoy  talking  with  her,  but  he  became  so  interested  in 
her  evident  pleasure  at  everything  she  saw  about  the 
capital,  that  he  took  it  upon  himself  to  arrange  the 
daily  program  of  visiting  and  sight-seeing.  Starting  in 
with  the  war  department,  which  was  Uncle  Eph's  par- 
ticular hobby,  they  made  the  whole  round  of  depart- 
ments the  first  two  days.  Then  Uncle  Eph  exerted 
himself   and   secured   a  special  permit  to  inspect  the 


THE  LEES  75 

White  House  and  meet  the  president.  He  even  went 
so  far  as  to  spend  an  entire  forenoon  with  the  girls  at 
the  Congressional  Library,  although  he  declared  he 
"couldn't  see  the  use  of  so  many  books  when  there 
were  so  many  good  daily  newspapers." 

"It  must  be  your  western  ways  that  attract  Uncle 
Ephraim,"  declared  Mrs.  Lee  to  Dorothy  one  evening 
after  she  had  been  an  inmate  of  the  home  nearly  a 
week,  and  the  old  soldier  was  preparing  the  program 
for  the  next  day,  in  the  library  adjoining. 

"What's  that?"  called  Uncle  Eph,  catching  his  name 
through  the  open  door. 

"I  said  I  thought  you  must  be  captivated  by  Miss 
Howerton's  western  ways,"  called  back  Mrs.  Lee. 

Uncle  Eph  laughed:  "If  you'll  say  her  western  way 
of  saying  just  what  she  thinks,  you'll  come  nearer  to 
It,"  said  Uncle  Eph. 

But  whatever  it  was,  the  fact  remained  that  he 
paid  more  attention  to  Dorothy  than  to  any  visitor  the 
family  had  ever  had,  and  when  Lucy  came  into  the 
library  a  couple  of  mornings  later  and  found  her  uncle 
listening  in  rapt  attention  to  Dorothy's  description  of 
her  work  in  the  west,  while  his  newspaper  lay  unopened 
and  deserted  on  the  table,  she  could  not  refrain  from 
laughing  outright  as  she  exclaimed: 

"Well!  Well,  Uncle  Eph,  I  never  expected  a  woman 
could  say  anything  that  would  interest  you !" 

"But,  she's  more  than  a  woman,"  ejaculated  Uncle 
Eph  joining  in  the  laugh,  "she's  a  diplomat  and  it's 
the  diplomat  that  interests  me." 

"Go  way!"  laughed  Lucy.     "She's  simply  proving 


7G  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

that  truth  is  a  greater  attraction  than  error — with  no 
disrespect  to  the  press  either;  but  now  come  to  your 
breakfast  or  the  muffins  will  be  cold." 

"Where  do  you  and  Miss  Howerton  find  so  much  to 
talk  about,  Uncle  Eph?"  asked  Mr.  Lee  as  they  took 
their  seats  at  the  table. 

"She  was  telling  me  all  about  the  western  sentiment 
regarding  the  possibility  of  war,"  replied  Uncle  Eph. 

"She's  told  you  that  before,  hasn't  she?" 

"Not  exactly  in  the  same  way,"  said  Dorothy,  "I 
have  been  trying  to  impress  upon  Mr.  Stuart  that  men 
who  favor  peace  are  more  manly  than  men  who  advo- 
cate war." 

"And  I  can't  see  it!"  broke  in  Uncle  Eph. 

"Why,  Uncle  Eph!"  said  Lucy.  "How  can  you 
say  such  things!  Is  not  man  made  in  the  image  and 
likeness  of  God,  who  is  Love  ?" 

"That's  what  the  Bible  says,"  replied  Uncle  Eph. 

"And  is  not  peace  an  attribute  of  Love?"  insisted 
Lucy. 

Uncle  Eph  scratched  his  head. 

"T  suppose  you  might  put  it  that  way,"  he  finally 
said. 

"Well,  then,"  continued  Lucy  triumphantly,  "if  man 
is  the  image  and  likeness  of  God — the  likeness  of  Love 
— ^the  more  peaceable  we  are,  the  more  God-like  we 
are;  and  the  more  God-like,  the  more  manly — because 
to  be  perfect,  man  must  be  the  perfect  likeness  of  his 
Creator.  I've  explained  all  this  to  you  so  often!  I 
cannot  see  why  you  do  not  understand  it!" 

Uncle  Eph  slowly  shook  his  head  and  was  about  to 
reply,  but  was  interrupted  by  Mr.  Lee  saying: 


THE  LEES  77 

"You  must  try  and  put  yourself  in  your  uncle's 
place,  Lucy.  He  looks  at  things  from  a  different  point 
of  view." 

"If  Mr.  Stuart  could  only  meet  some  of  the  men  I 
know,"  declared  Dorothy,  "I  am  sure  he  would  admit 
their  exceeding  manliness.  It  is  of  the  young  men 
particularly  I  am  thinking." 

"Any  particular  young  man?"  asked  Uncle  Eph 
quizzically. 

"Yes,"  was  the  reply,  "I  have  in  mind  a  particular 
young  man — a  rising  young  lawyer.  His  success  in 
bringing  about  an  amicable  settlement  in  several 
important  cases  which  involved  the  city  in  the  possible 
loss  of  large  sums  has  made  him  a  prominent  figure. 
He  will  doubtless  be  the  candidate  for  consrress  in  his 

o 

district  this  fall.  Already  his  speeches  in  opposition 
to  war  have  attracted  widespread  attention.  You  may 
have  read  some  of  them.     His  name  is  Wiuslow." 

"Oh,  yes,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Lee,  "Uncle  Ephraim 
has  been  much  interested  in  his  views  about  thinking 
peace." 

"And  I  don't  agree  with  him  at  all!"  declared  the 
old  fighter. 

Dorothy  laughed:  "You  are  not  the  only  one,  but  I 
predict  that  the  time  will  come  when  those  who  agree 
with  his  doctrine,  if  not  with  him,  will  be  in  the  ma- 
jority." 

"It  wouldn't  be  strange,"  declared  Uncle  Eph.  "It 
seems  that  people  are  believing  things  today  that  were 
downright  heresies  a  few  short  years  ago.  I'm  not 
prepared  to  say  that  they  won't  even  come  to  believe 
that  it  is  an  actual  sin  to  go  to  war." 


78  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"It  is!"  said  Lucy  positively,  as  though  the  statement 
were  already  an  accepted  fact. 

Uncle  Eph  looked  at  her  in  pained  surprise. 

"Young  lady,"  he  said  sternly,  "don't  you  know 
that  some  of  your  ancestors  were  among  the  greatest 
warriors  the  world  has  ever  known  ?" 

"Of  course  I  do." 

"And  that  some  of  them  were  also  the  bravest  and 
most  honorable  and  most  God-fearing  men —  ?" 

"I  believe  that  is  true,  too,  Uncle  Eph,"  interrupted 
Lucy. 

"  They  considered  it  no  sin  to  become  soldiers  They 
considered  it  a  patriotic  and  Christian  duty,"  he 
declared. 

"Patriotic  I  doubt  not,"  said  Lucy  quietly.  "But 
Christian  it  could  not  have  been,  for  the  teaching  of 
Christ  Jesus  is  to  love  our  enemies  and  not  to  fight 
them.  Peace,  harmony,  is  a  divine  law;  and  any 
attempt  to  break  this  law  by  war  is  an  attempt  to  break 
a  law  of  God.  War  is,  therefore,  a  sin  no  matter  how 
mortals  may  view  it;  and  our  only  salvation  in  time  of 
war  is  to  know  that  peace,  being  a  law  of  God,  cannot 
be  broken  by  human  warfare,  no  matter  how  much  it 
may  seem  to  be.  Like  all  other  evil,  war  is  but  a  false 
belief." 

"You  are  getting  back  into  what  you  call  the  realm 
of  mind,"  said  Uncle  Eph  as  she  stopped  speaking, 
"and  there  is  no  use  of  my  arguing.  Still,  don't  think 
for  a  moment  I  am  convinced!" 

"I  don't,"  replied  Lucy  with  a  merry  laugh,  "but  I 
know  you  will  be  sometime." 

"It's  a  good  thing  that  Lucy  and  her  uncle  agree  on 


THE  LEES  79 

one  point,"  said  Mr.  Lee,  "and  that  is  the  wisdom  of 
not  discussing  a  thing  upon  which  they  do  not  agree. 
But,  changing  the  subject,  what  is  the  program  for 
sight-seeing  today.?" 

"Not  a  very  long  one,"  repHed  Dorothy.  "This 
letter  informs  me  I  must  be  home  by  next  Tuesday. 
I  chink  I  shall  have  to  leave  tonight!" 

"What,  so  soon!"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Lee.  "Why,  we 
are  just  getting  acquainted  with  you.  Can't  you 
possibly  stay  over  Sunday?  We  are  enjoying  your 
visit  so  much." 

"It  is  good  of  you  to  say  so,  Mrs.  Lee,  and  certainly 
I  am  enjoying  myself;  but  I  think  I  had  better  start 
home  tonight  so  as  to  be  there  Saturday." 

"I  do  not  suppose  there  would  be  any  use  in  trying 
to  persuade  you  to  change  your  mind,"  declared  Lucy, 
"I  have  already  discovered  that;  but  we  want  to  insist 
right  here  and  now  that  you  will  return  to  us  this  winter 
for  a  long  visit." 

"My  work — "  began  Dorothy,  but  Lucy  interrupted 
her: 

"There  will  be  plenty  of  work  here  for  earnest 
workers.  I  feel  that  a  mighty  struggle  is  pending,  and 
those  of  us  who  have  been  trained  along  the  line  of 
right  thinking  will  be  needed  on  the  ground." 

"I  reckon  Lucy  would  even  like  to  have  you  bring 
that  young  lawyer  with  you,"  laughed  Uncle  Eph. 

"I  have  no  doubt  that  he  would  be  of  use,"  declared 
Lucy. 

"I  believe  Lucy  is  right  about  the  importance  of  the 
work  to  be  done  here  next  winter,"  said  Mr.  Lee;  "but 
regardless  of  that,  I  want  strongly  to  second  her  in  vita- 


80  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

tion,  Miss  Howerton.  We  shall  assuredly  deem  it  a 
great  pleasure  to  have  you  with  us  again." 

Deeply  touched  by  the  expressions  of  loving  interest, 
Dorothy's  eyes  filled  with  tears  as  she  replied  in  a 
voice  quivering  with  gladness: 

"You  cannot  know  how  deeply  I  appreciate  your 
kind  invitation,  and  if  possible,  I  shall  certainly  avail 
myself  of  it." 

Perceiving  her  emotion,  Mr.  Lee  changed  the  subject 
by  saying: 

"Well,  Uncle  Eph,  where  is  it  to  be  today?  The 
Chesapeake  or  the  Potomac?" 

"It's  for  Miss  Dorothy  to  say,"  replied  Uncle  Eph 
gallantly.     "I  am  entirely  at  her  disposal." 

"If  it  isn't  too  much  trouble,"  declared  Dorothy,  "I 
think  I  should  like  to  go  to  Fort  Meyer." 

"To  Fort  Meyer'."  exclaimed  Uncle  Eph  in  unfeigned 
surprise.  "To  Fort  Meyer!  Oh,  yes,"  with  a  merry 
twinkle  in  his  eye,"  to  see  the  sinners,  I  suppose." 

"No,"  laughed  Dorothy,  "to  see  the  airships." 


CHAPTER  V 


TEMPTED 


Upon  Dorothy's  return  to  Kansas  City,  events  of 
national  and  international  importance  followed  each 
other  in  rapid  succession,  while  spring  became  summer 
and  summer,  in  turn,  passed  quickly  into  autumn — 
an  autumn  filled  with  the  tumult  and  excitement  of  a 
congressional  election.  And  a  notable  election  it  was 
for  many  reasons.  It  was  notable,  first,  because  issues 
were  joined  that  had  never  before  been  considered 
political  questions  by  the  American  people.  It  was 
notable  because  international  instead  of  national 
policies  were  the  subject  of  forensic  debate.  It  was 
especially  notable  because  of  its  far-reaching  results 
and  the  impress  made  upon  the  history  of  the  nation 
and  upon  human  affairs  by  the  representatives  then 
elected. 

Outside  the  candidates  themselves,  it  is  doubtful  if 
anyone  took  a  livelier  interest  in  the  progress  of  events 
than  did  Dorothy.  Strong  in  her  understanding  of  war 
as  an  absolutely  unrighteous  condition  of  thought,  she 
was  naturally  a  pronounced  adherent  of  the  peace 
party;  and  not  only  was  she  an  adherent,  but  she  was 
an  ardent  supporter  of  its  principles  both  mentally 
and  audibly,  wherever  and  whenever  possible.  She 
attended   many  of  the  public   meetings   and   was  as 

81 


82  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

actively  interested  in  the  work  as  it  was  possible  for 
anyone  in  her  position  to  be. 

In  no  section  of  the  country  was  the  campaign  more 
exciting  than  in  Missouri,  and  in  no  district  did  the 
peace  party  conduct  a  more  vigorous  campaign  than 
that  in  which  John  Winslow  was  the  candidate.  From 
the  day  of  his  nomination,  and  even  before,  he  threw 
himself  unreservedly  into  the  contest.  He  was  ever  in 
the  thickest  of  the  fray  and  no  call  was  ever  made  upon 
him  that  did  not  meet  with  an  energetic  and  ready 
response.  In  spite  of  this,  he  was  never  so  occupied 
that  he  could  not  find  time  to  do  a  good  deed  for  anyone 
in  distress;  nor  was  he  ever  so  tired,  or  so  burdened 
with  his  responsibilities  that  he  did  not  undertake  any 
work  he  might  be  called  upon  to  do  for  the  advance- 
ment of  the  cause.  As  a  result,  when  the  returns  were 
in,  it  was  found  that  he  had  gained  a  most  signal 
victory;  a  victory  so  sweeping  that  it  easily  made  him 
the  foremost  figure  in  the  party. 

But  the  election  has  finally  passed  and  winter — a 
most  memorable  winter,  is  here. 

Uncertainty  of  the  future,  and  a  sense  of  troubled 
conditions  always  add  zest  to  life  in  the  national 
capital,  and  make  it  unusually  interesting  from  a 
visitor's  standpoint.  Small  wonder,  then,  that  Dorothy, 
mindful  of  Lucy's  pressing  invitation,  has  made  a 
special  effort  to  spend  the  winter  where  she  can  be  in 
touch  with  the  events  which  are  so  rapidly  making 
history.  And  so,  on  a  clear,  cold  day  the  last  of  Decem- 
ber, she  again  finds  herself  in  Washington. 

"It  seems  almost  like  coming  home,"  she  exclaimed 
after  the  first  greeting  with  Lucy  was  over.     "  You  know 


TEMPTED  83 

I  have  never  had  much  home  Ufe  and  it  is  wonderful 
what  a  strong  sense  of  home-coming  I  have  had  all 
the  way  east." 

"I  am  sure  our  hearts  have  gone  out  to  you,"  said 
Lucy,  "and  I  have  felt  your  return  as  that  of  an  elder 
sister.  Why  not?  Are  we  not  all  children  of  one 
Father  and  should  we  not  be  at  home  where  His 
presence  is  most  felt  ?  I  am  sure  as  we  come  to  appre- 
ciate more  and  more  our  unity  with  the  Father,  we 
shall  realize  more  and  more  the  tender  relationship 
of  one  great  family." 

"How  beautifully  sweet  you  make  this  relationship, 
dear!  In  your  presence  I  always  seem  to  get  a  clearer 
idea  of  man  in  God's  image  than  anywhere  else.  I 
have  thought  so  much  of  the  few  days  spent  here  last 
spring  and  have  so  longed  to  return!" 

That  Lucy  was  no  I  the  only  member  of  the  family 
rejoiced  to  see  Dorothy  was  fully  proven  upon  their 
arrival  at  the  Dumbarton  avenue  home.  Not  only  was 
Mrs.  Lee  again  at  th?  top  of  the  stairs,  but  Uncle  Eph 
was  waiting  impatiently  at  the  bottom  to  assist  them 
to  alight. 

"Your  face  is  surely  good  for  sore  eyes,"  he  declared 
as  they  were  all  ascending  the  steps,  "especially  old 
eyes." 

"Do  not  be  talking  about  old  eyes,"  commanded 
Lucy.  "Man's  eyes  reflect  the  All-seeing  eye  of  God, 
which  is  just  as  perfect  today  as  when  God  said: 
'Let  there  be  light  and  there  was  light.'  " 

"You  never  will  give  me  a  chance  to  joke,"  said 
Uncle  Eph. 

"Not  at  your  own  expense,"  declared  Lucy. 


84  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"Now  I  wonder  what  she  meant  by  that,"  pondered 
Uncle  Eph  as  Mrs.  Lee  and  the  girls  disappeared  up 
the  broad  stairs  and  into  the  room  prepared  for  their 
guest. 

When  the  family  assembled  in  the  parlor  several 
hours  later,  it  was  almost  an  impossibility  that  many 
minutes  should  elapse  before  the  conversation  turned 
to  political  and  international  affairs  with  which  the 
very  atmosphere  seemed  charged. 

"I've  just  been  awaiting  this  chance  for  you  to  tell 
me  something  about  the  new  member  from  Kansas 
City,"  said  Uncle  Eph  to  Dorothy.  "You  said  when 
you  were  here  last  spring  that  he  was  a  friend  of 
yours.  What  kind  of  a  man  is  he  as  men  go — not  as 
women  judge  them?" 

"  I'm  afraid  that's  rather  a  hard  question  for  a  woman 
to  answer,"  was  Dorothy's  laughing  rejoinder,  "but 
judging  from  his  remarkable  success  at  the  polls,  the 
men  must  have  judged  him  to  be  all  right.  I  know 
he  is." 

Uncle  Eph  scratched  his  head. 

"Your  endorsement  ought  to  be  enough,"  he  finally 
said.  "But  how  did  a  man  named  Winslow  ever  come 
to  be  elected  to  congress  from  Missouri  ?  That's  what 
I'd  like  to  know." 

Dorothy  laughed  heartily. 

"Missouri  is  quite  a  state,  Mr.  Stuart,  and  we  have 
people  from  everywhere.  While  Mr.  Winslow  was 
born  in  Massachusetts  and  his  childhood  was  passed 
still  farther  east — in  China  among  the  diplomats — his 
real  training  has  been  in  the  west.  In  all  of  his  ideas 
he  is  a  western  man." 


TEMPTED  85 

"'Things  certainly  are  changing,"  said  Uncle  Eph 
sententiously,  "but  somehow  or  other  I  can't  get  used 
to  his  doctrine.     He  talks  like  a  woman  to  me." 

"You'll  change  your  mind  when  you  see  him," 
laughed  Dorothy. 

"That'll  be  some  time  off,"  said  Uncle  Eph. 

"No,  I  think  he'll  be  down  before  the  close  of  the 
session.     He  wants  to  see  Washington." 

"And  I  suppose  there's  an  added  attraction  now?" 
laughed  Mr.  Lee  as  he  looked  quizzically  at  Dorothy. 

"If  you  mean  me,  you're  entirely  wrong,"  replied 
Dorothy  without  the  slightest  degree  of  embarrassment. 
"Jack  and  I  are  co-workers,  nothing  more." 

"And  still  I'll  venture  he  wouldn't  be  coming  down 
if  you  were  not  here  ?" 

"Possibly  not,  but  I  am  so  desirous  for  you  all  to 
meet  him." 

"And  we  want  to!"  exclaimed  Lucy.  "A  man  that 
can  make  such  a  winning  fight  for  Truth  and  Love 
must  be  worth  knowing!" 

"He  is!"  replied  Dorothy.  "He's  even  worth 
cultivating!" 

It  was  possibly  a  week  later  that  Dorothy  and  Lucy 
were  down  town  on  a  shopping  and  sight-seeing  expedi- 
tion. They  had  been  to  the  art  gallery  and  were  on 
their  way  to  the  office  of  the  trust  company  to  meet 
Mr.  Lee.  In  front  of  the  Belasco  theater  they  stopped 
to  read  the  bronze  tablet,  placed  there  to  tell  strangers 
that:  "On  this  spot  stood  the  house  in  which  an  attempt 
was  made  to  assassinate  Secretary  Seward  the  night 
President  Lincoln  was  shot."  So  deeply  engrossed  were 
they  in  conversation  that  they  forgot  their  surroundings, 


86  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

and  as  they  turned  to  leave  the  place  bumped  into  a 
hurrying  pedestrian,  who  raised  his  hat  with  an  apolo- 
getic: "Pardon  me!" 

At  the  sound  of  his  voice  they  raised  their  eyes  and 
Dorothy  gave  a  little  scream. 

"Jack!"  she  exclaimed.  "Well  of  all  people! 
Wherever  did  you  come  from?" 

And  then  without  giving  him  a  chance  to  reply: 
"O,  Lucy,  this  is  Mr.  Winslow!  Jack,  this  is  Lucy 
Lee.     I  know  you  are  glad  to  know  each  other!" 

"It  saves  us  the  trouble  of  saying  it  then,  doesn't  it. 
Miss  Lee  ?"  and  John  extended  his  hand. 

"And  now  tell  us,"  continued  Dorothy,  "why  didn't 
you  write  that  you  were  coming  and  not  take  our 
breath  away  in  this  unexpected  fashion  ?  W' hat  are 
you  d..ing  here  an>n^'ay?" 

"Well,  if  you  must  know,"  laughed  John  at  her 
insistent  speech,  "I  do  not  know,  myself."  Then  in 
answer  to  her  look  of  wonderment  he  explained : 

"I  am  here  in  response  to  a  telegram  from  the 
president.  I  did  not  know  I  was  coming  three  hours 
before  I  left  Kansas  City;  but  the  telegram  was  urgent 
and  I  lost  no  time.  Even  yet  I  do  not  know  why  I 
am  wanted.  I  am  but  now  on  my  v  ay  to  the  White 
House  to  keep  my  appointment. 

"Of  course  you  understand,  Miss  Lee,"  he  con- 
tinued in  laughing  explanation  of  his  words,  "that  it 
is  not  me  whom  the  president  really  wants  to  consult, 
but  the  people  for  whom  I  stand  and  for  whom  I  am 
temporarily  the  mouth  piece." 

His  eyes  emphasized  his  meaning. 

"We  know  all  about  it,  Mr.  Winslow,"  replied  Lucy, 


TEMPTED  87 

"and  it  is  not  the  people  either.  It  is  the  thing  you 
stand  for  that  makes  you  a  power  today." 

John  looked  at  her  in  quiet  surprise,  while  Dorothy 
could  not  refrain  from  laughing;: 

"You  wouldn't  think  to  look  at  her  that  she  was 
such  a  bundle  of  wisdom,  would  you  ?  But,  Jack, 
she  was  born  into  it.     She  doesn't  know  anything  else." 

"A  wonderful  heritage!"  he  said.  "But  now  I  shall 
have  to  leave  you,"  looking  at  his  watch,  "my  engage- 
ment is  about  due.  I  shall  see  you  as  soon  as  I  can; 
I  hope  this  evening.  Till  then — "  he  raised  his  hat 
and  passed  on. 

"And  now  that  you  have  seen  him,"  said  Dorothy, 
"what  do  you  think  of  him  ?" 

Lucy  made  no  reply  for  several  minutes.  Then  she 
said  slowly: 

"That  he  will  fill  up  to  the  measure  of  a  man." 

Dorothy  had  the  usual  amount  of  womanly  curiosity, 
and  while  she  did  not  allow  it  dominion,  she  found 
herself  wondering  several  times  during  the  remainder 
of  the  day  what  the  president  of  the  United  States 
could  want  with  Jack  Winslow.  For  the  time  she 
had  ceased  to  remember  that  he  was  now  a  national 
figure.  As  a  rule  a  man's  first  term  in  congress  does 
not  count  for  much;  but  as  Lucy  had  said,  it  was  the 
thing  that  John  stood  for  that  now  made  him  so  con- 
spicuous. In  spite  of  this  and  the  fact  that  he  had 
easily  been  the  most  prominent  figure  during  the  recent 
campaign,  he  was  still  Jack  to  Dorothy.  True,  she 
realized  that  he  was  a  most  remarkable  young  man 
and  one  possessed  of  great  purity  of  thought  and  action; 
but  his  worth  was  connected  in  her  mind  almost  entirely 


88  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

with  their  work  for  good  in  a  limited  local  field.  It 
was  only  just  beginning  to  dawn  upon  her,  that  this 
Mind  which  was  in  her  friend  was  making  him  a  power 
for  good  in  the  nation  as  well.  She  had  always  recog- 
nized his  strength  of  character  and  integrity  of  purpose, 
even  from  their  earliest  acquaintance  at  Reciproca,  and 
now  she  perceived  the  world  at  large  was  also  coming 
to  recognize  it. 

With  Dorothy's  friendship  for  John,  there  was 
coupled  a  great  desire  for  his  success.  To  say  that 
she  was  ambitious  for  him  would  hardly  express  it. 
She  realized  well  that  earthly  honors  are  but  baubles, 
and  as  such  had  no  desire  for  them.  What  she  did 
wish  for  her  friend,  was  that  he  should  attain  such  a 
place,  such  a  position,  as  in  her  mind  would  give  his 
ability — his  understanding  of  the  Science  of  being — 
the  widest  possible  field  for  the  accomplishment  of 
the  greatest  good.  She  failed  to  realize,  as  she  ought, 
that  place  is  absolutely  a  human  idea  and  that  in  God's 
eternal  harmony  there  is  no  rank  save  that  of  purity — 
perfection. 

It  was  late  that  evening  before  John  made  his 
appearance  at  the  Lee  residence,  so  late  that  they  had 
ceased  to  expect  him.  Although  the  hour  in  fashion- 
able Washington  would  have  been  considered  early, 
everyone  in  the  household  had  retired  excepting  Lucy 
and  Dorothy. 

"We  are  early  risers  here,  Mr.  Winslow,  because 
it's  easier  to  do  our  work  then,"  said  Lucy  apologeti- 
cally, "and  seeing  that  we  are  not  in  society  we  retire 
early.  But  let  me  call  father  and  mother;  they  are  so 
anxious  to  see  you." 


TEMPTED  89 

"Don't!"  begged  John.  "Don't  disturb  them.  I 
have  had  a  strenuous  day,  and  really,  I  should  prefer 
talking  with  you  and  Dorothy  alone.  Dorothy,  you 
know,  has  been  my  confidant  ever  since  we  were  boy 
and  girl,  and  I  somehow  have  a  feeling,  after  what 
she  told  me  this  afternoon,  that  right  here  I  shall  find 
the  help  I  need  to  work  out  my  problem." 

Dorothy  noted  that  Jack  was  greatly  in  earnest  and 
with  her  woman's  intuition  was  quick  to  detect  that 
something  out  of  the  ordinary  had  happened.  Seeing 
him  from  quite  a  dift'erent  viewpoint  Lucy  replied 
simply : 

"A  perfect  realization  of  the  one  Mind  will  solve 
your  problem  without  any  help  from  us." 

"Sometimes,"  said  Dorothy,  "we  find  ourselves  in 
a  position  where  it  is  difficult  to  realize  this,  and  I 
suspect  that  Mr.  Winslow  may  have  encountered  a 
very  strong  sense  of  many  minds  since  his  arrival 
here." 

"Something  very  like,"  acquiesced  John. 

Lucy  raised  her  eyes  in  surprise:  "The  very  admis- 
sion of  that  seeming  condition  is  proof  of  what  I  say," 
she  declared  emphatically,  "and  it  is  likewise  the 
strongest  proof  to  me  that  you  have  need  of  much 
prayerful  thought.  Slight  as  our  acquaintance  is,  I 
am  sure  I  detect  in  you  a  sense  of  fear." 

"Fear  of  what?"  asked  John  with  the  deepest 
interest. 

"I  haven't  attempted  to  analyze  it,"  replied  Lucy. 
"But  this  sense  of  opposing  minds  indicates  fear  and 
uncertainty.  It  is  proof  that  you  are  giving  power  to 
error  in  some  form." 


90  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

The  purity  of  the  girl's  thought  came  almost  as  a 
revelation  to  both  Dorothy  and  John.  Even  to  the 
latter,  whose  entire  training  had  been  along  the  line 
of  right  thinking,  it  seemed  wonderful  that  there  should 
be  anyone  with  a  thought  so  pure  as  to  detect  a  claim 
of  evil  before  it  had  been  voiced  in  the  slightest;  but 
John's  understanding  of  Truth  was  so  great  that  he 
at  once  recognized  the  possibility.  He  looked  at  Lucy 
almost  with  veneration  as  he  said: 

"If,  as  we  are  taught,  error  uncovered  is  two-thirds 
destroyed,  what  shall  we  say  of  error  that  is  detected 
as  soon  as  it  is  conceived .''" 

Lucy  laughed:  "I  am  not  apt  at  epigrams,"  she 
said,  "but  I  do  know  that  whenever  the  presence  of 
evil  is  detected,  it  is  that  much  nearer  destruction; 
the  problem  is  that  much  nearer  solution." 

Dorothy  listened  with  bated  breath.  So  well  did 
she  know  John  that  she  realized  something  most 
unusual  must  have  happened  to  cause  him  to  even 
discuss  error  as  a  possibility.  For  a  minute  there  was 
silence.  Then  Dorothy  could  restrain  herself  no 
longer. 

"Out  with  it,  Jack!"  she  suddenly  said.  "The 
sooner  it  is  handled  the  better." 

"Yes,"  added  Lucy,  "and  the  less  likely  it  is  to 
handle  you." 

"Until  I  came  here,"  began  John  slowly,  "I  had 
not  decided  that  it  was  error.  I  had  been  thinking 
that  it  might  be  Truth  indicating  a  way  different  from 
the  one  heretofore  appointed;  that  Principle  might  be 
leading  into  different  channels  from  those  I  had  marked 
out.     It  is  but  now  I  begin  to  realize,  that  in  my  case 


TEMPTED  91 

at  least,  the  voice  of  the  people,  as  expressed  at  the 
polls,  was  the  voice  of  God.  How  great  the  error 
that  has  now  been  suggested,  you  shall  judge  for 
yourselves." 

He  paused  a  moment  with  closed  eyes.  When  he 
spoke  there  was  just  a  bit  of  a  tremor  in  his  voice. 
"I  have  been  offered  a  portfolio  in  the  cabinet,"  he 
said.  "I  have  been  asked  to  become  the  secretary  of 
war." 

An  exclamation  of  surprise  escaped  both  young 
tvomen.  Then  there  was  silence,  which  Dorothy  was 
the  first  to  break.  "What  a  wonderful  opportunity!" 
she  exclaimed.  "What  a  wonderful  opportunity  to 
make  it  the  portfolio  of  peace!" 

John  sat  unmoved  by  Dorothy's  outburst.  His  gaze 
was  fastened  upon  Lucy,  from  whose  face  the  color 
had,  for  the  moment,  departed.  She  had  closed  her 
eyes  as  though  to  shut  out  some  fearful  sight.  As  she 
opened  them  she  said  in  an  almost  inaudible  whisper: 

"What  a  terrible  temptation!  Who  can  fathom  the 
subtlety  and  malignity  of  evil!" 

Her  words  startled  Dorothy  almost  beyond  expres- 
sion.    "Subtlety!     Malignity!"  she  gasped. 

"Yes,"  replied  Lucy  slowly  regaining  her  composure. 
"Subtle,  because  of  the  unexpected  source  from  which 
it  strikes !     Malign,  because  of  the  evil  it  would  entail  • 

"Oh,  Mr.  Winslow,"  she  continued,  addressing 
herself  to  John,  "your  understanding  is  too  great, 
your  purpose  too  pure  and  your  thought  too  spiritual, 
to  permit  pride  or  ambition,  through  this  seductive 
lure,  to  impel  you,  like  Judas,  to  betray  the  Christ- 
Truth  which  you  have  been  chosen  to  voice.     I  know 


92  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

these  evil  thoughts  for  what  they  are;  so  must  you." 

Stunned  by  her  first  exclamation,  John  sat  as  one 
bound  by  a  spell.  While  she  spoke  a  mighty  struggle 
was  raging  within  him,  although  outwardly  he  gave  no 
sign.  Was  it  true  that  he  had  loosened  the  joints  of 
his  armour  to  pride  and  ambition  ?  Was  it  possible 
that  he  had  thus  made  himself  vulnerable  to  the  darts 
of  evil  ? 

As  he  looked  into  Lucy's  radiant  eyes  and  read 
therein  the  wonderful  purity,  the  luminous  spirituality 
of  her  thought,  there  came  to  him  an  almost  over- 
whelming realization  of  the  pitfall  he  had  escaped  and 
an  abiding  sense  of  the  protecting  care  spread  around 
those  who  "dwell  in  the  secret  place  of  the  Most 
High."  As  Lucy  finished  speaking  he  arose  from  his 
chair  and  raising  his  hand,  said: 

"Through  the  grace  of  God;  through  the  omnipo- 
tent power  of  divine  Love;  through  your  spiritual 
understanding  of  omnipresent  Truth,  the  error  has 
been  destroyed!" 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE   BEGINNING    OF   UNDERSTANDING 

It  was  the  third  week  of  the  extra  session  of  congress 
— a  session  called  by  the  president  to  take  action  in 
the  emergency  created  by  conditions  which  had  now 
become  so  strained,  it  seemed  that  actual  war  could 
not  long  be  delayed.  The  closing  acts  of  the  last 
congress  had  not  been  of  a  character  that  would  tend 
to  bring  about  a  better  understanding  between  the 
two  nations,  although  a  resolution  had  been  passed  at 
the  last  moment,  empowering  the  president  to  refer 
all  matters  in  dispute  to  the  Hague  tribunal.  This 
tribunal  had  been  so  slow  in  getting  the  disputed  points 
before  it,  however,  that  before  it  could  really  get  to 
work,  other  hostile  acts  had  been  committed,  anyone 
of  which  might  be  easily  aggravated  to  a  casus  belli. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  say  which  nation  had  been 
most  often,  or  most  greatly  the  aggressor.  While  the 
action  of  Great  Britain  had  been  most  arbitrary^  in 
attempting  to  dictate  the  commercial  relations  to  be 
maintained  toward  her  colonies  by  the  United  States, 
the  attitude  of  the  United  States  with  regard  to  the 
use  of  the  Panama  Canal  had  been  quite  as  aggravat- 
ing. Again,  egged  on  by  the  great  manufacturing 
syndicates,  the  United  States  had  first  put  an  embargo 
upon  certain  foreign  goods  that  forced  them  completely 


94  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

out  of  the  market;  then  it  had  put  an  export  duty  on 
certain  raw  materials  so  high  as  to  almost  destroy 
many  English  industries.  Urged  on  by  the  same 
syndicates,  which  practically  controlled  the  senate,  the 
United  States  had  also  made  such  a  discriminating 
toll  between  English  and  American  merchantmen  in 
the  use  of  the  Panama  canal,  that  it  w^as  impossible  for 
British  ships  to  compete  with  American  vessels. 

England  had  retaliated  with  a  prohibitive  inspection 
of  American  meats  and  canned  goods  which  kept 
them  entirely  out  of  all  her  possessions.  In  fact  the 
present  condition  was  solely  the  result  of  acts  of  retalia- 
tion by  first  one  side  and  then  the  other,  so  that  without 
any  reasonable  reason  the  two  nations  had  been  gradu- 
ally drifting  apart.  Now  the  crisis  seemed  to  have 
been  reached  by  the  announcement  that  troops  were 
being  mobilized  in  some  of  the  interior  Canadian 
cities,  to  be  ready  in  case  it  came  to  an  actual  break- 
ing out  of  hostilities,  while  the  use  of  the  Welland 
canal  by  United  States  vessels  had  been  prohibited 
except  under  certain  very  stringent  conditions. 

The  action  of  the  last  congress  in  granting  power  to 
the  president  to  refer  the  matter  under  dispute  to  the 
Hague  Tribunal,  had  brought  a  feeling  of  relaxation 
to  the  United  States  and  the  peace  party  had  experi- 
enced a  sense  of  jubilation;  but  with  the  rumor  of  the 
mobilization  of  troops  in  Canada,  the  expectation  of 
continued  peace  gave  way  to  a  sense  of  alarm,  and 
there  is  no  doubt  that  the  administration  had  the  full 
support  of  the  nation  in  calling  the  extra  session. 
Still,  as  the  people  came  to  look  at  the  matter  calmly, 
it  was  evident  that  if  armed  vessels  were  put  upon  the 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  UNDERSTANDING  95 

Great  Lakes,  as  the  president  suggested — a  suggestion 
which  had  now  become  the  recommendation  upon 
which  congress  had  been  called  to  act — it  would  be 
equivalent  to  a  declaration  of  war. 

However,  the  mass  of  the  people  and  a  good  ma- 
jority of  congress  were  with  the  president.  Urged  on 
by  national  pride  and  a  sense  of  fear  on  the  part  of 
the  residents  of  the  lake  ports,  it  seemed  likely  that 
before  human  passions  could  be  given  sufficient  vent 
to  allow  the  nations  to  once  more  think  in  a  rational 
and  harmonious  manner,  a  step  would  be  taken  which 
would  cause  a  bloody  and  disastrous  war.  Only  in  a 
few  of  the  larger  cities,  where  for  half  a  century  an 
energetic  movement  of  righteous  thinking  had  been 
developing,  was  the  sentiment  strongly  in  favor  of 
peace  at  any  price.  It  was  from  these  cities  that  most 
of  the  congressmen  in  favor  of  peace  had  come — a 
band  of  right  thinkers,  of  whom  John  Winslow  was 
the  leader — who  were  opposed  to  war  as  war,  as  the 
breaking  of  the  divine  law  of  harmony.  Now,  in  the 
third  week  of  the  session,  they  were  making  their  last 
stand  against  the  seemingly  overwhelming  force  of 
mortal  sense,  as  expressed  by  the  majority. 

It  had  been  an  all-day  session.  As  it  neared  mid- 
night, a  vote  was  at  hand  upon  the  question  of  sending 
the  gun  boats  lying  at  St.  Louis,  up  through  the  deep 
waterway  to  Chicago  and  thence  over  the  lakes.  It 
seemed  certain  that  the  resolution  would  be  adopted, 
although  the  peace  party  had  made  it  clear  that  war 
was  literally  being  forced  upon  the  people  by  cor- 
porate greed. 

Many    harsh   words   had   been    spoken   and   many 


96  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

strong  terms  used  during  the  debate,  but  a  vote  had 
at  last  been  agreed  upon,  when  John  Winslow  gained 
the  floor  on  a  question  of  personal  privilege. 

"The  gentleman  from  Missouri,"  said  the  speaker, 
"arises  to  a  question  of  personal  privilege.  I  trust  he 
will  be  brief." 

"So  brief,"  said  John,  "that  I  hope  I  shall  tire  no 
one;  but  despite  the  fact  that  so  much  has  been  said 
upon  both  sides  of  this  question,  I  feel  that  I  should 
not  be  doing  my  duty  to  my  constituents,  my  fellow- 
citizens,  my  country  and  my  God,  divine  Truth  and 
Love,  did  I  not  make  one  more  effort  to  prevent  this 
violation  of  a  sacred  compact;  to  prevent  evil  from  using 
these  two  great  nations  as  a  channel  for  the  spread  of 
its  malign  influence." 

So  compelling  was  the  young  man's  bearing,  so 
thrilling  his  voice  and  so  impelling  his  reference  to 
his  God,  divine  Truth  and  Love,  that  the  confusion 
and  hum  of  voices  which  had  prevailed,  ceased;  and 
then  after  a  whispered:  "Winslow  of  Missouri,"  had 
passed  over  the  galleries,  there  was  absolute  silence. 
Everyone  who  had  heard  John's  voice  seemed  to  feel 
the  presence  of  the  great  controlling  Mind  which  he  so 
earnestly  expressed. 

"It  has  been  urged,"  he  continued,  "that  because  oi 
certain  aggressions  on  the  part  of  another  great  nation, 
we  should  take  this  retaliatory  action;  and  it  has 
futhermore  been  claimed  that  the  occasion  demands  an 
armed  force  on  the  Great  Lakes  to  protect  our  ports. 

"I  deny  both  statements. 

"Today,  at  least,  our  ports  are  not  threatened,  and 
if  we  will  here  and  now  vote  to  act  solelv  in  accord 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  UNDERSTANDING  97 

with  the  divine  Principle,  Love,  and  be  governed  by  the 
precept :  '  Do  unto  others  as  ye  would  that  others  should 
do  unto  you,'  laid  down  by  the  greatest  Law-giver 
that  ever  trod  the  earth,  they  will  not  be  threatened. 
If  we  will  apply  this  divine  law  to  the  present  condition 
of  human  affairs,  we  shall  unquestionably  destroy  all 
seeming  necessity  for  war,  because  there  is  no  power 
in  false  human  sense  to  stop  the  great  dynamic  force 
of  Love — that  force  which  is  the  omnipotent  power  of 
omniscient  Mind — always  active  and  always  acting  in 
perfect  harmony." 

The  silence  in  the  chamber  became  deeper  and  the 
interest  more  profound. 

"But  it  is  of  this  resolution  as  a  retaliatory  measure 
that  I  wish  particularly  to  speak.  Before  proceeding, 
however,  I  want  to  say  that  I  believe  the  words  I  am 
about  to  utter  are  eternally  true  and  that  I  am  but 
voicing  the  word  of  God  to  this  nation  in  what  I  feel 
it  my  solemn  duty  to  say.  Moreover  I  believe  it  was 
to  hush  my  voice  that  four  months  ago  I  was  offered  a 
portfolio  in  the  cabinet  of  the  chief  magistrate — an 
offer  which  my  friends  know  I  refused,  that  I  might 
be  free  to  speak  as  I  now  do!" 

A  murmur  of  surprise  passed  oVer  the~ assemblage, 
both  on  the  floor  of  the  chamber  and  in  the  visitors' 
galleries,  which  was  quickly  hushed  as  John  continued : 

"Two  wrongs  can  never  make  a  right;  nor  can  one 
wrong  be  righted  by  another.  We  cannot  destroy  one 
error  by  committing  another.  Truth  alone  destroys 
error  and  right  alone  destroys  wrong,  just  as  light 
destroys  darkness.  Yea,  just  as  Love  alone  can  destroy 
that  sense  of  injustice  and  the  desire  for  retaliation; 


98  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

that  feeling  of  revenge,  yes  hatred,  if  you  please,  which 
is  now  impelling  this  nation — this  great  nation  founded 
upon  the  teachings  of  the  most  lowly  and  yet  the  wisest 
teacher  the  earth  has  ever  known — to  take  a  step  not 
in  accord  with  the  precepts  of  the  Master  and  the  great 
law  of  God.  Rather  is  this  action  a  step  in  keeping 
with  the  teachings  of  those  nations  whose  attitude  has 
been  one  of  selfishness  and  revenge,  and  which  have 
disappeared  before  the  approach  of  God's  true  spiritual 
idea. 

"I  now  speak  a  warning!  If  this  nation  allows  itself 
to  be  led  on  by  this  sense  of  anger,  retaliation  and 
revenge,  it  is  forsaking  the  teaching  of  Christ  Jesus. 
It  is  opposing  the  law  of  God  and  placing  itself  in  the 
position  of  another  chosen  people,  who,  for  their  trans- 
gressions of  divine  law  and  following  after  other  gods 
have  been  scattered  over  the  face  of  the  earth.  If  we, 
too,  forsake  God,  who  is  Spirit,  for  the  gods  of  materi- 
ality; if  we  forsake  God,  who  is  Truth,  for  the  gods  of 
error;  if  ve  forsake  God,  who  is  Love,  for  the  gods  of 
hatred^  en\y  and  revenge,  and  seek  to  destroy  our 
enemies  by  any  other  than  the  law  of  Love,  we  must 
expect  to  suffer. 

"^My  vT  ords  are  true!  The  new  commandment, 
'that  ye  love  one  another  as  I  have  loved  you,  that  ye 
also  love  one  another,'  is  the  very  heart  of  the  decalogue! 
And  immediately  after  comes  that  other  and  fearful 
utterance  of  Jesus :  '  If  I  had  not  come  and  spoken  unto 
them,  they  had  not  had  sin;  but  now  have  they  no 
cloak  for  their  sins.  He  that  hateth  me — Christ, 
Truth — hateth  my  Father  also.'     So  do  I  now  declare 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  UNDERSTANDING  99 

to  this  august  body  that  we  have  no  cloak  for  our  sins, 
because  we  have  been  warned. 

"We  call  ourselves  a  Christian  nation!  We  call 
ourselves  Christian  men!  Dare  we  then,  in  the  face 
of  these  commands — dare  we,  I  ask,  vote  for  retalia- 
tion, and  attempt  to  thwart  the  law  of  divine  Love?" 

Amidst  breathless  silence  John  took  his  seat.  With 
bowed  head  he  awaited  the  result  of  his  words,  which 
were  but  the  expression  of  the  united  thought  of  thou- 
sands of  Christian  men  and  women  in  both  hemi- 
spheres, who,  with  him,  were  realizing  the  allness  of 
God,  good,  and  the  nothingness  of  evil. 

The  interest  in  the  chamber  was  intense.  No  such 
words  had  ever  before  been  spoken,  no  such  scene 
enacted  in  the  congress  of  the  United  States.  The 
voice  of  Truth  had  set  men  thinking.  The  power  of 
divine  Love  was  working  in  their  hearts.  Its  effect 
was  certain.  While  John  sat  with  bowed  head, 
Andrews  of  Ohio,  the  leader  of  the  majority,  arose. 
All  eyes  were  at  once  centered  upon  him. 

"Mr.  Speaker,"  he  said,  "in  accordance  with  the 
agreement  already  reached,  I  call  for  a  vote  on  the 
resolution!  And,"  he  continued  most  impressively,  "I 
wish  to  be  the  first  to  record  my  vote  against  it!" 

There  was  a  moment  of  unbroken  silence  and  then, 
as  the  assemblage  realized  what  this  action  meant,  the 
galleries  burst  into  wild  applause.  Interest  in  the 
result  was  so  great,  however,  that  the  sharp  rap  of  the 
speaker's  gavel  quickly  stopped  the  outburst,  and 
almost  before  the  sound  had  died  away  the  clerk  wa«^ 
calling  the  roll  on  the  resolution. 


100  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

That  it  would  be  lost  was  soon  apparent.  The 
action  of  Representative  Andrews  had  completed  the 
demonstration  begun  by  John's  words.  Long  before 
the  roll  call  was  finished,  the  vote  was  seen  to  be  going 
overwhelmingly  against  the  resolution,  and  as  the 
particular  vote  was  recorded  that  gave  the  peace  party 
the  majority,  in  spite  of  all  that  could  be  done  to  prevent 
it,  the  galleries  broke  into  a  hearty  cheer  that  showed 
where  the  sympathies  and  desires  of  the  people  lay. 

As  soon  as  the  call  was  finished  and  the  vote 
announced,  a  hasty  adjournment  was  taken  amidst  the 
wildest  enthusiasm.  Although  British  troops  might  be 
mobilizing;  although  hostilities  were  still  a  possibility, 
and  although  conditions  which  had  necessitated  the 
calling  of  the  extra  session  had  not  changed  in  the 
slightest,  nevertheless  a  radical  change  had  in  truth 
taken  place.  The  thought,  not  only  of  congress,  but  of 
the  entire  nation  had  changed,  and  with  this  act  a  firm 
conviction  at  once  took  possession  of  the  minds  of  the 
great  majority  that  war  was  not  necessary.  The 
defeat  of  the  retaliatory  measure  put  the  two  nations 
on  a  peace  footing.  At  once  all  began  to  think  peace 
instead  of  war,  and  a  feeling  of  optimism  regarding  a 
peaceful  settlement  of  the  points  in  dispute  began  to 
show  itself.  It  was  man  in  God's  image  and  likeness — 
that  spiritual  manifestation  of  the  one  Mind — asserting 
his  dominion  over  the  passions  of  false  mortal  sense. 
It  was  love  foreshadowing  a  complete  demonstration  of 
the  Golden  Rule. 

Among  the  members  of  the  peace  party  there  was 
great  jubilation  that  night.  They  crowded  around 
John  to  congratulate  him — as  did  also  the  members 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  UNDERSTANDING  101 

of  the  opposition.  To  one  and  all  he  made  substan- 
tially the  same  reply:  "It  was  not  I,  but  the  truth 
spoken  by  me." 

"I  only  spoke  the  words  I  was  impelled  to  utter," 
he  said  to  Representative  Andrews,  "but  I  spoke  with 
a  trusting  realization  that  they  were  the  words  of 
Truth — the  voice  of  God." 

"And  none  who  heard  them  could  doubt  it,"  was 
the  reply. 

In  the  midst  of  the  congratulations  a  page  put  a 
note  into  John's  hand.     It  read: 

"We  are  waiting  for  vou  at  the  eastern  entrance. 

Lucy." 

As  soon  as  possible  he  hastened  to  the  appointed 
spot  where,  midst  warm  congratulations,  he  climbed 
into  a  waiting  automobile  in  which  were  Lucy,  Dorothy 
and  Uncle  Eph,  and  they  were  quickly  speeding  out 
the  avenue  toward  the  Lee  residence. 

"It  was  a  wonderful  demonstration  of  God's  power!" 
said  Dorothy  as  they  sped  along. 

"And  it  transpired  just  as  I  knew  it  must,"  said 
Lucy,  her  fair  face  aglow  in  the  moonlight  with  a 
spiritual  radiance.  "  'He  shall  call  upon  me  and  I  will 
answer  him;  I  will  be  with  him  in  trouble;  I  will  de- 
Hver  him  and  honor  him,'  "  she  quoted.  "Surely  'he 
that  dwelleth  in  the  secret  place  of  the  most  High' 
knows  whence  cometh  power.  There  could  be  no 
other  result.     I  knew  it!" 

John  looked  at  her  reverently  as  to  himself  he 
thought:  "Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart  for  they  shall 
see  God." 


102  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lee  were  waiting  to  receive  them. 
They  had  already  heard  by  telephone  the  result  of  the 
vote,  and  their  congratulations  were  most  hearty. 

"And  it  is  not  only  you,  Mr.  Winslow,  who  are  to  be 
congratulated,"  said  Mr.  Lee  as  the  party  entered  the 
library,  "but  the  entire  nation.  I  am  satisfied  that  the 
action  taken  tonight  is  a  great  step  toward  universal 
peace." 

"How  I  long  for  that  day!"  said  John  earnestly. 
"Already  in  my  thought  I  can  perceive  it.  I  begin  to 
realize  a  time  coming  when  two,  three, — yes,  many 
nations  shall  be  brought  into  a  condition  of  perfect  har- 
mony of  thought  and  action.  When  in  a  single  day, 
out  of  these  many,  one  great  nation  shall  be  born." 

Lucy's  color  came  and  went  and  her  eyes  sparkled  as 
she  listened. 

"What  a  beautiful  thought!"  she  exclaimed  looking 
up  into  his  face.  "And  a  perfect  realization  of  the 
one  Mind  must  and  will  eventually  bring  this  condi- 
tion— a  time  when  men  will  understand  fully  the 
spiritual  import  of  the  first  commandment,  and  keep 
it." 

"And  the  second  which  is  like  unto  it,"  quoted 
John. 

Uncle  Eph  looked  intently  at  the  pair  as  they  stood 
thus,  seemingly  absorbed  in  each  other's  thoughts,  and 
after  a  moment  exclaimed  in  his  characteristic  way: 

"Talk  about  one  mind;  if  yov  two  haven't  got  it, 
I'll  lose  my  guess." 

The  sally  elicited  an  outburst  of  laughter,  which 
almost  disconcerted  Uncle  Eph  and  he  turned  to  leave. 

"Aren't  you  going  to  stay  and  have  a  bite  of  supper, 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  UNDERSTANDING  103 

Uncle  Ephraim?"  asked  Mr.  Lee.  "You  must  all  be 
hungry  after  your  long  day." 

"No,  indeed.  I  had  a  late  dinner  down  town. 
These  young  folks  were  so  interested  in  the  proceed- 
ings that  they  forgot  all  about  eating;  but  I  ain't  built 
that  way.  No  late  suppers  for  me.  My  old  stomach 
won't  stand  it." 

"Of  course  not,  Uncle  Eph,"  laughed  Lucy. 
"Your  stomach  is  an  unusually  wise  one.  It  knows 
just  when  to  work  and  when  not.  Some  day  it  will 
be  telling  you  how  to  keep  your  books  and  run  your 
business." 

Uncle  Eph  shook  his  finger  at  her. 

"That's  all  right  for  you,  Miss,  but  wait  until  you 
are  as  old  as  I  am.     Then  we'll  see." 

"Poor  Uncle  Eph,"  said  Lucy  as  he  disappeared  up 
the  stairs.  "He  cannot  for  the  life  of  him  see  how  it  is 
possible  for  man  to  have  dominion,  not  only  over  the 
whole  earth,  but  even  over  his  own  stomach,  despite 
the  fact  that  he  professes  to  believe  the  Bible  and  tries 
his  best  to  live  up  to  its  teachings." 

Seated  at  the  table  the  details  were  again  gone  over 
and  Mr.  Lee  asked  John  what  he  thought  might  be  the 
immediate  result  of  the  action  taken. 

"I  do  not  know  that  I  can  predict,"  was  the  answer. 
'*I  should  say,  however,  that  it  would  greatly  simplify 
the  work  of  the  Peace  Tribunal,  as  I  expect  England 
to  meet  us  half-way." 

"What  effect  do  you  think  it  will  have  toward  dis- 
armament, if  any.!^  Would  you  say  it  might  be  a 
step  in  that  direction  ?" 

"I  see  no  reason  why  it  should  not  be,"  replied  John. 


104  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"It  is  unquestionably  a  step  toward  thinking  about 
disarmament,  or  perhaps  I  should  say  a  step  towards 
thinking  less  armament;  for  this,  I  take  it,  will  be 
the  order  of  education — first  the  cessation  of  an  in- 
crease of  armament,  then  less  armament  and  finally 
disarmament." 

"That  certainly  looks  reasonable,"  said  Mr.  Lee. 

"In  this  line  of  argument,"  continued  John,  "I 
was  much  impressed  by  reading  a  statement  made  by 
Lord  Asquith,  a  former  premier  of  Great  Britain,  at  a 
banquet  tendered  the  delegates  to  a  peace  confer- 
ence held  in  1908.  At  that  time  Lord  Asquith  said 
he  could  not  indulge  in  the  hope  that  the  youngest 
person  then  alive  would  witness  the  day  of  universal 
disarmament. 

"  'As  long  as  man's  nature  continues  as  it  is,'  he  said, 
*it  will  be  necessary  to  provide  for  war.  In  order  to 
bring  peace,'  he  declared,  'the  notion  that  there  are 
hereditary  antagonisms  and  natural  antipathies  which 
must  from  time  to  time  find  an  outlet  in  carnage,  must 
first  be  recognized  as  pernicious  superstition  and  eradi- 
cated, not  only  from  the  minds  of  children,  but  from 
the  minds  of  whole  communities.*  In  other  words, 
he  did  not  look  for  national  disarmament  until  the 
thoughts  of  mankind  had  been  disarmed." 

"That  is,"  said  Mi.  Lee,  "he  thought  it  necessary 
to  change  the  thought  of  the  individual,  before  he 
could  change  the  thought  of  the  nation." 

"Exactly!" 

"And  how  far,  Mr.  Winslow,  do  you  think  the 
actioR  taken  tonight  will  tend  in  that  direction  ?" 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  UNDERSTANDING  105 

"Believe  me,  Mr.  Lee,"  replied  John  impressively, 
"who  for  the  last  eight  years  have  studied  the  question 
diligently  and  have  practiced  the  Golden  Rule  con- 
tinually in  connection  with  my  law  practice,  it  will  go 
a  long  way.  I  look  upon  the  action  taken  tonight  as 
the  first  declaration  of  the  American  people  that  they 
are  willing  to  give  up  the  thought  of  war.  This  thought 
will  soon  be  reflected  in  the  consciousness  of  other 
peoples,  and  as  a  first  result  I  look  for  a  cessation  in 
the  increase  of  the  navies  of  the  world.  It  is  the  old 
idea  of  the  little  leaven:  First  the  individual,  then  the 
community,  then  the  nation. 

"The  action  taken  by  the  house  of  representatives 
tonight,  in  view  of  the  disturbed  condition  of  thought 
and  the  manner  in  which  the  change  of  sentiment 
came,  is  a  big  step  toward  universal  peace.  It  shows 
that  this  nation,  at  least,  is  ready  to  think  peace,  instead 
of  war." 

"John  is  right,"  exclaimed  Lucy  as  her  beautiful 
eyes  radiated  the  spirituality  her  thought  contained. 
"I,  too,  can  feel  the  approach  of  universal  harmony. 
Even  now  I  can  hear  the  voice  of  Truth  proclaiming 
*on  earth  peace,  good  will  toward  men.'  " 

"I  hope  the  day  may  not  be  far  distant,"  said  Mrs. 
Lee  as  she  noted  the  words  and  the  light  in  her  daugh- 
ter's eyes. 

"Time  is  but  a  mortal  thought,"  said  John.  "The 
day  will  come  ere  we  realize  it." 

The  conversation  was  interrupted  by  the  hasty 
entrance  of  Sam,  the  colored  servant. 

"Mr.  Stuart  wants  someone  to  come  right  up  and 


106  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

see  him,"  he  said.  "He's  mighty  bad,  and  he  says 
will  someone  send  for  Dr.  Bremer  right  off." 

John  looked  from  one  member  of  the  family  to 
another  in  some  surprise  as  Mrs.  Lee  arose  from  the 
table  and  went  quietly  up  the  stairs,  while  Mr.  Lee 
stepped  to  the  telephone.     Lucy  noted  the  look. 

"Uncle  Ephraim  still  has  more  faith  in  the  doctors," 
she  exclaimed,  "although  his  physicians  have  told  him 
that  they  could  do  nothing  more  than  relieve  his  pain 
temporarily.  We  have  offered  him  spiritual  assist- 
ance, but  he  has  refused  it." 

"It  would  seem  that  the  expression  of  Truth  in  this 
household  would  be  sufficient  to  heal  his  unbelief," 
exclaimed  John. 

"We  have  all  discovered,  however,  that  you  cannot 
drive  anyone  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven,"  declared 
Dorothy. 

"True,"  replied  Lucy,  "but  it  does  seem  that  he 
should  have  grasped  sufficient  of  the  Truth  to  help 
him  realize  the  kingdom  of  heaven  within  himself." 

"Neither  will  they  be  persuaded,  though  one  rose 
from  the  dead,"  quoted  John. 

They  arose  from  the  table  as  Mr.  Lee  hung  up  the 
phone  and  John  prepared  to  take  his  departure. 

"I'm  sending  the  machine  for  Dr.  Bremer,  and 
Robert  can  drop  you  at  your  hotel  on  the  way,"  said 
Mr.  Lee.     "I  expect  you'll  have  a  busy  day  tomorrow." 

Twenty  minutes  later  Dr.  Bremer  arrived  and  went 
hastily  to  Uncle  Eph's  room. 

"It's  my  old  enemy,"  groaned  Uncle  Eph  as  the 
doctor  entered.  "I  can't  breathe  and  there's  such  a 
pain  about  my  heart." 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  UNDERSTANDING  107 

"I've  warned  you,"  said  Dr.  Bremer.  "At  your 
age  you  must  be  more  careful;  but  I'll  do  all  I  can 
for  you." 

"Anything,  Doctor,  to  ease  this  pain!"  groaned  the 
sufferer  writhing  in  agony. 

Dr.  Bremer  administered  a  remedy  and  seated  him- 
self at  the  bedside  with  his  hand  on  his  patient's  pulse, 
while  Uncle  Eph  continued  moaning.  At  the  end  of 
five  minutes  he  administered  the  remedy  again,  but 
still  the  moans  continued. 

"Don't  you  get  any  relief?"  the  physician  asked. 
Uncle  Eph  shook  his  head  and  his  hand  clutched 
his  breast. 

For  another  five  minutes  the  doctor  held  his  fingers 
upon  the  patient's  pulse.  Then  once  more  he  adminis- 
tered the  remedy.  To  Mrs.  Lee,  who  stood  by,  he 
said: 

"I  have  given  him  all  I  dare  at  present.  I  think 
it  will  relieve  him  shortly;  but  I  must  return  to  Senator 
Carleton's  where  I  am  badly  needed.  Will  someone 
sit  by  him  while  I  am  gone?" 

Dorothy  appeared  in  the  door.  From  the  hall  she 
had  heard  the  physician's  request. 

"I  will,"  she  said.     "Have  you  any  directions?" 
"None."     Then  to  Mrs.  Lee  as  he  passed  out  into 
the  hall:  "If  the  medicine  does  not  take  effect  within 
the  next  fifteen  minutes,  I  fear  the  worst.     His  is  a 
bad  aneurism  and  this  attack  is  the  worst  yet." 

When  Dr.  Bremer  returned  half  an  hour  later,  Uncle 
Eph  was  still  suffering. 

"Is  there  nothing  more  you  can  do  for  me,  Doctor," 
he  groaned. 


108  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

The  physician  slowly  shook  his  head. 

"I'm  afraid  not.  I  have  exhausted  all  known 
remedies.  I  think  it  but  right  to  tell  you  that  only  the 
power  of  God  can  save  you." 

For  a  half  hour  longer  Dr.  Bremer  remained  with 
the  suffering  man  and  then  left,  telling  Mrs.  Lee  that 
he  feared  the  end  was  near,  but  asking  that  he  be 
notified  at  Senator  Carleton's  of  any  sudden  change. 

As  the  doctor  left  the  room  Uncle  Eph  opened  his 
eyes,  which  he  had  closed  in  pain,  and  raising  his  hand 
motioned  Dorothy  to  come  near. 

"What  is  it,  Uncle  Eph?"  she  asked  as  she  took 
the  hand  which  closed  in  a  spasm  of  pain. 

"Do  you  think  you  could  help  me?"  he  whispered. 

"Do  you  want  me  to?" 

"Yes,"  he  gasped.  "I'd  be  ashamed  to  ask  the 
others,  after  all  I've  said.  I'd  die  first.  But  I  don't 
mind  you." 

"The  others  would  help  you  just  as  quickly,"  said 
Dorothy,  "but  now  let  us  see  this  pain  for  what  it 
really  is.  Let  us  understand  that  it  is  but  the  final 
struggle  of  error  to  resist  that  spirit  of  Love  which  has 
encompassed  us  all  so  closely  today.  Let  us  know 
the  truth — that  truth  which  makes  free  from  all  pain.'' 

Still  clasping  his  hand,  she  stood  at  the  bedside  with 
uplifted  face  and  closed  eyes,  looking  away  from 
matter  to  Spirit — looking  beyond  the  human  sense  of 
death,  to  that  omnipresent  God,  to  know  whom  is 
eternal  life. 

Gradually,  as  she  thus  stood  and  prayed,  the  moans 
ceased,  the  paroxysms  became  less  frequent,  the  hand 
she  held  relaxed  and  Uncle  Eph  slept. 


CHAPTER  VII 


MAKING    FOR   PEACE 


It  is  two  days  before  the  presidential  inauguration, 
and  John  Winslow's  term  in  congress  is  rapidly  draw- 
ing to  a  close.  He  could  easily  have  been  elected  to 
succeed  himself,  but  had  refused  the  nomination, 
declaring  that  he  was  not  seeking  political  preferment. 
He  had  accepted  his  first  nomination  when  he  believed 
there  was  work  he  was  called  upon  to  perform.  Having 
performed  that  work  he  had  declared  his  intention  of 
returning  to  his  law  practice  and  private  life. 

How  well  he  had  performed  the  work  for  which  he 
had  been  elected  the  history  of  his  two  years  in  congress 
bears  ample  evidence.  On  the  day  after  the  event 
recorded  in  the  last  chapter — an  event  which  filled  a 
remarkable  page  in  the  history  of  the  nation — the 
house  of  representatives  had  assembled  with  a  sense 
of  a  work  well  done.  The  press  of  the  world,  in 
voicing  the  opinion  of  men  and  nations,  had  unani- 
mously commended  its  action  and  had  given  the 
United  States  credit  for  having  taken  the  greatest  step 
in  history  toward  permanent  international  peace. 
Had  England  not  been  peaceably  inclined,  she  would 
almost  have  been  obliged  to  accept  the  friendly  hand 
thus  extended;  but  events  showed  that  the  English 
people  were  just  as  anxious  for  peace  as  the  American 

109 


110  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

and  were  more  than  thankful  for  the  new  condition 
forced  upon  them.  Even  Uncle  Eph,  when  he  opened 
his  paper  that  morning  in  a  considerably  changed 
frame  of  mind,  was  surprised  at  the  unanimous  endorse- 
ment of  the  action  of  the  house  for,  as  he  said:  "There 
are  usually  a  lot  of  people  who  object  to  every  action 
taken,  simply  for  the  sake  of  objecting.  They  think 
they  are  showing  wisdom  by  such  objection,  when,  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  they  are  simply  displaying  their 
ignorance," 

Therefore,  being  well  pleased  with  themselves  after 
reading  the  morning  papers  and  still  better  pleased 
upon  the  receipt  of  the  many  congratulatory  messages 
from  their  constituents  when  they  arrived  at  the  capitol 
later  in  the  day,  the  representatives  began  immediately 
to  devise  plans  whereby  they  could  still  further  help 
along  the  good  work  of  peacemaking.  Naturally  the 
first  thing  they  thought  of  was  the  Hague  Tribunal, 
and  a  resolution  was  quickly  passed,  creating  a  special 
congressional  committee  to  appear  before  this  tribunal 
and  give  such  an  account  of  the  wishes  and  sentiment 
of  the  American  people  as  would  best  help  it  in  making 
its  decisions. 

The  resolution  likewise  provided  that  the  chairman 
of  that  committee  should  be  Representative  Winslow 
of  Missouri. 

The  committee  had  started  for  the  Hague  forthwith, 
and,  aided  by  a  similar  committee  from  the  British 
parliament,  worked  to  such  good  purpose  that  before 
hot  weather  set  in  the  tribunal  had  reported  its  find- 
ings and  the  decision  had  been  ratified  by  the  two 
nations. 


MAKING  FOR  PEACE  111 

Upon  its  return  home,  the  committee  had  received 
the  thanks  of  congress  while  Representative  Winslow 
had  been  given  such  a  reception  by  the  people  of 
Missouri  as  is  rarely  accorded  an  American  citizen. 

In  view  of  changed  conditions,  many  new  questions 
had  come  up  during  the  regular  session  of  congress 
and,  as  chairman  of  the  committee  on  international 
affairs,  John  had  found  plenty  of  hard  work.  But 
here,  as  elsewhere,  his  habit  of  right  thinking — his 
realization  of  the  one  Mind  and  man  as  the  reflection 
thereof — had  enabled  him  to  solve  and  demonstrate 
successfully  every  problem  that  confronted  him.  His 
legal  training,  also,  stood  him  in  good  part,  especially 
his  practice  before  the  Court  of  Individual  Conscience. 
He  had  proven  the  Golden  Rule  so  often  in  this  prac- 
tice, that  when  he  came  to  practice  in  the  court  of 
National  Conscience,  he  was  able,  also,  to  prove  it 
there. 

That  he  had  made  a  reputation  as  a  most  successful 
interpreter  of  international  law  goes  without  saying. 
His  party  appreciated  his  services,  as  well,  also,  as  did 
the  incoming  president  whom  it  had  elected.  And  so 
today,  John  found  himself  confronted  by  another 
serious  problem,  for  President-elect  Webster,  not  only 
desirous  of  doing  something  for  John,  but  likewise 
desirous  of  his  advice  and  assistance,  had  ofiFered  him 
his  choice  of  two  places,  that  of  secretary  of  state,  or 
that  of  chief  justice  of  the  United  States — the  present 
incumbent  having  announced  his  intention  of  retiring 
as  soon  as  the  new  administration  had  been  inaugurated. 

The  conference  between  John  and  the  president- 
elect had  been  held  at  Annapolis  the  previous  evening. 


112  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

John  had  been  asked  -which,  if  either,  he  would  prefer 
and  with  Httle  hesitation  had  named  the  chief  justice- 
ship as  more  in  keeping  with  his  training;  but  he  had 
made  it  very  plain  that  this  answer  did  not  necessarily 
mean  that  he  would  accept  either. 

Then  it  was  that  the  president-elect  told  him  frankly 
that  he  greatly  needed  his  assistance  as  secretary  of 
state  and  begged  that  he  would  accept  the  place. 

"Your  record  in  handling  international  affairs,  Mr, 
Winslow,  especially  the  recent  affair  with  England,  has 
been  so  great,"  he  urged,  "that  there  is  no  one  whose 
aid  I  so  earnestly  desire. 

"You,  even  better  than  I,  know  the  delicate  relations 
existing  between  the  United  States  and  the  nations  of 
the  Orient,  and — while  I  know  not  by  what  method  you 
have  succeeded — your  success  in  adjusting  international 
differences  has  been  too  great  for  anyone  to  question 
its  efficiency." 

For  some  moments  before  replying  John  sat  silently 
thoughtful.  When  he  at  length  spoke  it  was  with  great 
deliberation  and  earnestness. 

"Mr.  Webster,"  he  said,  "I  feel  that  I  must  talk  to 
you  just  as  frankly  as  you  have  talked  to  me.  While  I 
thoroughly  appreciate  the  honor  and  the  compliment 
you  have  paid  me,  I  greatly  prefer  to  return  to  private 
life.  I  feel  there  are  matters  that  need  my  personal 
attention.  If  I  accept  either  position,  however,  I  feel 
that  I  could  do  more  good  as  a  justice  of  the  Supreme 
Court  in  adjusting  the  great  industrial  and  commercial 
differences  now  agitating  the  nation,  than  as  secretary 
of  state  in  maintaining  the  peace  which  already  exists." 


MAKING  FOR  PEACE  113 

For  several  moments  there  was  silence  and  then 
John  continued  impressively: 

"But  if  I  should  decide  to  accept  the  great  and 
honorable  position  of  secretary  of  state,  peace  must  be 
the  watchword  of  the  administration." 

"It  shall  be!"  was  Mr.  Webster's  emphatic  reply. 
"But  the  great  task  is  to  always  preserve  peace  with 
dignity." 

"That  ought  to  be  an  easy  matter,"  was  John's 
immediate  rejoinder,  "if  we  simply  do  unto  others  as 
we  would  have  others  do  unto  us." 

"It  is  that  little  'if,  Mr.  Winslow,  that  makes  the 
task  so  hard." 

"Then,  if  I  should  decide  to  accept  the  position," 
declared  John,  "we  shall  be  obliged  to  change  the 
proposition  to  read:  'It  will  be  easy  to  preserve  the 
peace,  because  we  will  always  do  unto  others  as  we 
would  have  others  do  unto  us.'  We  will,  in  our  dealings 
with  foreign  nations  obey  implicitly  the  command  of 
Jesus  when  he  said:  'Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy 
God  with  all  thy  heart  .  .  .  and  thy  neighbor  as  thyself.' 
We  will  love  the  welfare  of  our  neighbor  nations  just 
as  we  love  our  own." 

"That  may  seem  simple  to  you,  Mr.  Winslow, — it 
must  be  simple,  for  I  have  heard  it  said  that  you  seem 
always  to  practice  it.  But  to  me,  it  is  largely  visionary. 
How  is  it  possible  to  love  one's  neighbor  as  one's  self.''" 

"Things  that  are  equal  to  the  same  thing  are  equal 
to  each  other,  are  they  not  ?"  was  John's  quiet  answer. 

"Certainly;  but  I  fail  to  see  how  that  solves  the 
problem." 


114  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"The  Bible  tells  us  that  man  is  made  in  the  image 
and  likeness  of  God.     Do  you  believe  that  ?" 

"Yes,  I  think  so." 

"And  if  man  is  the  likeness  of  God,  he  must  not  only 
be  a  reflection  of  God  but  he  must  likewise  reflect  God  ?" 

"I  should  suppose  so." 

"Now,  to  me,"  continued  John,  "God  is  Mind — 
the  only  Mind,  because  He  is  omniscient — is  All-in-all. 
Therefore  the  true  man,  all  spiritual  individualities, 
insomuch  as  they  reflect  God,  reflect  also  this  one 
Mind.  To  this  extent  they  think  alike  and  act  alike. 
They  have  the  same  intelligence,  the  same  motives, 
the  same  hopes  and  desires  and  the  same  love.  It 
follows,  then,  that  when  all  men  reflect  only  the  one 
Mind — when  they  attain  to  that  Mind  which  was  also 
in  Christ  Jesus,  they  will  necessarily  all  see  the  truth 
as  it  is  and  they  will  hold  the  same  thoughts  about 
others  as  they  do  about  themselves." 

Mr.  Webster  looked  puzzled  and  eyed  John  intently 
for  some  moments.     At  length  he  said; 

"That  may  be  true  if  the  time  ever  comes  when  all 
men  do  reflect  the  one  Mind,  as  you  put  it.  At  present 
they  do  not  appear  to,  and  your  neighbor  is  continually 
at  variance  with  you.  If  you  are  right,  how  can  you 
love  him  when  you  can  see  that  he  is  doing  wrong  ?" 

The  answer  was  quick  and  pointed:  "Love  speaketh 
no  evil,  seeth  no  evil,  thinketh  no  evil.  If  I  am  reflect- 
ing the  one  Mind  which  is  Love,  I  shall  try  to  see  only 
the  spiritually  perfect  man  and  know,  that  although 
my  neighbor  may  seem  to  be  at  odds  with  me,  in  reality 
there  is  no  variance  between  the  divine  ideas,  and  that 
it  is  possible  for  us  {q  enter  into  a  realization  of  Paul's 


MAKING  FOR  PEACE  115 

statement:  'In  Him  we  live  and  move  and  have  our 
being.'  Man  must  be  an  expression  of  the  one  Mind, 
no  matter  how  opposed  to  that  Mind  the  false  human 
sense  may  be. 

"If  my  neighbor  does  not,  therefore,  realize  in  him- 
self the  perfect  man  in  God's  image,  I  must  realize  it 
for  him — be  he  one  or  a  nation.  In  this  way  I,  at  least, 
shall  be  loving  my  neighbor  as  myself;  and  only  in 
this  way  can  I  really  love  him  at  all — for  in  this  way 
only  can  I  reflect  the  one  Mind  which  knows  no  evil." 

"And  how  think  you,  Mr.  Winslow,  will  this  affect 
your  neighbor,  my  neighbor,  our  neighbor — the  foreign 
nations  ?" 

"Try  it  and  see,"  was  the  earnest  rejoinder.  "If 
there  is  in  your  opinion  the  slightest  doubt  as  to  what 
will  happen,  believe  me  who  have  proved  it  often,  that 
the  Golden  Rule  can  be  and  is  being  successfully 
applied  in  solving  the  many  problems  of  mankind; 
and  it  can  be  just  as  successfully  applied  in  dissolving 
all  the  differences  that  may  arise  between  nations." 

"And  this,  then,  is  the  plan  upon  which  you  work.^" 

"Absolutely!"  was  the  forcible  reply.  "But  this  rule 
can  only  be  successfully  applied  by  understanding  that 
there  is  but  one  Mind  and  that  man  reflects  it. 

"Now  because  God  is  Love,  and  the  reflection  of 
Love  is  loving — that  is  seeing  your  brother  perfect — 
as  we  endeavor  more  and  more  to  apply  this  rule,  we 
become  more  and  more  God-like,  until  we  reach  the 
'measure  of  the  fulness  of  the  stature  of  Christ'  and 
realize  our  unity  with  the  Father.  This  is  the  spiritual 
import  of  the  first  commandment.  Obedience  to  this 
commandment,    we    are    taught,    will    establish    the 


116  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

brotherhood   of   man   and   ultimately   bring   universal 
peace  and  harmony — that  harmony  which  is  heaven." 

For  some  moments  neither  spoke.  At  length  Mr. 
Webster  asked: 

"And  where  did  you  acquire  this  very  primitive 
religion,  if  you  will  pardon  my  inquisitiveness;  and 
what  do  you  call  it?     It  appeals  to  me  most  strongly." 

"I  call  it  scientific  Christianity,"  replied  John.  "Its 
Founder  and  Discoverer,  Mrs.  Eddy,  calls  it  Christian 
Science, — Christian  because  it  impels  one  to  follow  in 
the  footsteps  of  Christ  Jesus  and  to  obey  implicitly  his 
commands;  and  scientific  because  it  dispels  the  dark- 
ness with  light,  error  with  truth,  war  with  peace,  and 
hatred  and  revenge  with  love  " 

Again  there  was  silence  which  was  finally  broken 
by  Mr.  Webster  asking,  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye: 
"Do  you  not  think  you  would  be  practicing  the  Golden 
Rule  by  accepting  this  portfolio  ?" 

John  smiled  in  return:  "I  have  not  yet  decided, 
but  I  will  let  you  know  tomorrow  evening,  if  that 
will  do.  I  must  have  time  to  take  the  matter  up 
carefully  and  scientifically." 

"That  will  be  entirely  satisfactory,"  replied  Mr. 
Webster.  "I  will,  then,  see  you  in  Washington  at  the 
Shoreham." 

With  this  understanding  the  men  had  parted. 

It  was  now  nearly  noon  of  the  succeeding  day  and 
John  had  not  reached  a  decision.  Although  he  had 
taken  the  matter  up  prayerfully  and  had  tried  to  realize 
where  his  duty  lay,  the  desire  to  return  to  private  life, 
where  he  could  find  more  time  for  study  and  to  practice 
the  healing  truth,  was  strong  within    him.     He  could 


MAKING  FOR  PEACE  117 

not  believe  that  it  was  Principle  leading  in  a  different 
way.  It  seemed  rather  another  claim  of  ambition  try- 
ing to  turn  him  from  his  duty. 

To  get  entirely  away  from  any  sense  of  confusion  and 
to  find  an  absolutely  quiet  and  orderly  spot,  he  went 
over  to  the  congressional  library.  Entering  the 
beautiful  rotunda  and  pausing  for  a  moment  to  con- 
template the  wondrous  decorations,  from  the  high 
ceiling  to  the  tesselated  floor,  upon  which  the  signs  of 
the  zodiac  were  grouped  about  the  sun — that  symbol 
of  the  Soul  which  governs  the  Spiritual  Universe, 
including  man — he  found  his  way  into  the  reading- 
room  devoted  to  house  members,  where  he  sat  down 
and  took  up  his  thought  in  an  orderly  manner.  All 
about  him  was  an  element  of  grandeur  and  an  atmos- 
phere of  the  greatest  and  best  in  the  history  of  civili- 
zation, and  in  this  atmosphere  he  was  soon  able  to 
look  at  the  subject  in  hand  more  impersonally 

As  he  reviewed  his  work  during  the  past  two  years, 
he  reached  the  point  where  he  was  once  before  asked  to 
accept  a  cabinet  position,  and  remembered  with  a  sense 
of  pleasure  the  source  of  the  clearest  thought  and 
greatest  help  that  had  been  given  him.  This  realiza- 
tion, at  once  prompted  a  determination  to  again  seek 
advice  from  the  same  source. 

"I  wonder  if  she  has  returned  from  Boston,"  he 
asked  himself.  "And  I  wonder  if  she  saw  mother. 
I'll  soon  find  out." 

With  John  to  think  was  to  act. 

"I'd  enjoy  a  little  fresh  air,  too,"  he  said  as  he  left 
the  library  and  descended  the  broad  steps  which  led 
to  the  street.     Here  he  took  the  first  public  conveyance 


118  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

he  encountered.  It  was  a  big  touring  car;  and  he  was 
soon  speeding  out  the  avenue  toward  Georgetown. 

Lucy  was  just  coming  down  the  steps  as  the  auto 
drew  up  in  front  of  the  Lee  residence. 

"It's  an  age  since  we've  seen  you,"  she  said  as  John 
stepped  from  the  car. 

"That's  because  you've  been  out  of  town.  I  was 
here  the  evening  before  you  left,  and  gave  you  an 
important  message  to  my  mother." 

"Which  I  deUvered.  But  I've  been  back  three 
days." 

"What?"  exclaimed  John.  "And  you  didn't  let  me 
know  it!" 

Lucy  laughed. 

"I  thought  it  was  your  place  to  keep  posted — pro- 
vided, of  course,  you  wanted  to  know.  But  what  are 
you  doing  with  this  machine?  It's  big  enough  for  a 
tour  of  the  United  States." 

" Is  it  ?"  said  John.  "I  hadn't  noticed.  My  thoughts 
were  full  of  such  big  things,  I  must  have  taken  it  because 
it  was  in  keeping.  But  I  came  to  take  you  for  a  ride. 
I  need  some  advice — real  advice  by  one  who  can  see; 
so  get  in." 

Lucy  realized  by  his  manner  of  speech  that  there 
was  something  back  of  his  attempt  at  levity,  and  took 
her  seat  without  more  ado. 

"Where?"  asked  the  chauffeur. 

"Any  place  where  it's  quiet,"  replied  John,  "unless," 
turning  to  Lucy,  "you  have  some  preference?" 

"None  at  all." 

The  chauffeur  continued  westward  to  the  aqueduct 
bridge  and  then,  crossing  to  the  Virginia  shore,  was 


MAKING  FOR  PEACE  119 

soon  running  leisurely  along  toward  Mt.  Vernon.  It 
was  a  typical  spring  day,  the  last  of  April,  and  so 
strong  upon  them  was  the  spirit  of  the  resurrection 
season  that  for  a  mile  or  more  neither  spoke,  both 
absorbed  in  their  own  thoughts.  At  last  Lucy  broke 
the  silence  with  a  happy  little  laugh. 

"It  is  certainly  beautiful!"  she  exclaimed.  "Every 
time  I  come  this  way  I  gain  a  clearer  sense  of  what 
the  spiritual  universe  must  be  like — a  universe  filled 
with  harmony." 

"I  hope,"  said  her  companion,  "that  you  have  a 
clear  sense  of  that  harmony  right  now,  for  I  want 
some  help  in  working  out,  what  to  me  seems  a  most 
difficult  problem.  Once  before,  under  similar  circum- 
stances, you  made  the  way  very  plain.  Perhaps  you 
will  be  willing  to  do  so  again?" 

"Can  you  doubt  it?"  she  asked. 

"You  know,"  continued  John,  "that  I  have  intended 
retiring  to  private  life  at  the  close  of  my  term.  My 
plans  have  all  been  laid  to  that  end.     Now — " 

Lucy  interrupted  him  by  placing  her  hand  on  his  arm. 

"Let  me  finish  for  you.  If  I  am  right  I  shall  know 
how  to  advise.  Now — ,"  and  she  looked  up  into  his  face 
with  earnest  simplicity,  "now  the  president-elect  wants 
you  to  accept  some  position  with  the  new  adminis- 
tration ?"     Her  eyes  looked  into  his  enquiringly. 

"You  have  heard  it  rumored?" 

"I  have  heard  nothing;  but  I  can  see  plainly  that 
such  a  condition  should  exist  in  the  harmonious  order 
of  events." 

"Harmonious  order!"  repeated  John.  "What  do 
you  mean  by  that  ?" 


120  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"To  my  sense,"  explained  Lucy  deliberately,  "the 
thought  of  the  world  is  rapidly  becoming  harmonized. 
The  visible  manifestations,  as  yet,  are  comparatively 
few;  but  I  realize  it.  We  are  reaching  this  condition 
in  an  orderly  manner,  for  order,  you  know,  is  heaven's 
first  law. 

''In  this  harmonious  order  of  events — this  pro- 
gression toward  perfection,  purity  and  peace  on  earth, 
every  good  thought  is  needed  in  the  active  work — 
every  thought  trained  to  right  thinking.  I  know  of 
none,  John,  which  is  today  reflecting  more  of  Love — 
the  Love  that  knows  no  evil — than  your  own.  Trained 
towards  righteous  thinking  in  childhood,  you  have  devel- 
oped along  with  it  the  ability  to  make  your  understand- 
ing practical.  Your  fellow  citizens  have  seen  this,  and 
while  only  comparatively  few  know  where  you  have  ob- 
tained your  knowledge  of  God  and  man,  they  all  see  the 
results.  They  realize  in  one  way  or  another,  that  you 
are  daily  giving  proofs  of  the  practicability  of  the 
Golden  Rule,  although  they  have  not  as  yet  classified 
it  by  that  name.  While  they  have  not  attempted  to 
analyze  your  method,  they  realize  in  you  the  ability 
needed  for  a  certain  work.  This  is  why  you  are  being 
called  into  it." 

"It  is  undoubtedly  as  you  say,  to  a  certain  extent 
at  least,"  replied  John.  "But  to  me  it  seems  that  I 
am  needed  in  my  home  field.  I  am  needed  as  a 
practitioner  in  the  healing  of  the  false  claims  of  sickness, 
sin  and  the  inharmony  that  continually  besets  man- 
kind. In  pubhc  life  I  seem  to  be  out  Df  reach  of  the 
many  who  need  me." 

Lucy  shook  her  head  and  gave  that  happy  little  laugh 


MAKING  FOR  PEACE  121 

that  reminded  John  of  the  first  note  of  the  robin  in 
the  early  spring  time. 

"You  are  allowing  yourself  to  be  influenced  by  a 
seeming  law  of  limitation.  You  are  thinking  too 
much  of  what  we  are  sometimes  pleased  to  call  an 
individual  sphere  and  are  not  taking  the  broader  view. 
Does  not  Paul  say  that  we  wrestle  with  principalities  and 
powers  and  wickedness  in  high  places;  and  do  not 
the  so-called  rich  and  great  need  the  healing  Christ, 
just  as  much  as  the  lowly?" 

"Undoubtedly,"  replied  John. 

"Well,  then,  to  paraphrase  St.  Paul,  let  us  lay 
aside  the  doubts  and  fears  which  so  easily  beset  us, 
and  run  with  patience  the  race  which  is  set  before  us. 

"Come,  now,"  she  continued  almost  gaily  as  she 
again  placed  her  hand  on  his  arm.  "Out  with  it! 
What  is  it  you  are  needed  for  this  time?" 

"Well,"  said  John  slowly  as  he  noted  with  a  sense 
of  the  deepest  pleasure  the  real  interest  she  displayed, 
"I  am  informed  that  I  am  especially  needed  to  act 
as  secretary  of  state  for  the  coming  four  years,  because 
a  peacemaker  is  demanded,  but  the  coming  vacancy 
on  the  supreme  bench  is  also  offered." 

Raised  as  she  had  been  in  the  atmosphere  of  Wash- 
ington, where  place  is  everything  and  where  the  scramble 
for  office  is  the  absorbing  occupation  of  two-thirds  of 
the  population,  Lucy  could  not  fail  to  be  affected  by 
the  information.  She  would  have  been  either  more  or 
less  than  human  had  she  not  been ;  but  that  same  clear 
sense  of  right  and  wrong,  that  spirituality  which  had 
so  quickly  enabled  her  to  detect  the  error  in  a  previous 
offer,  was  just  as  quick  now  to  detect  where  her  friend's 


122  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

duty  lay.  With  parted  lips  she  looked  at  him  for  a 
moment,  realizing  for  him  the  true,  unselfish  man, 
whose  decision  must  be  in  keeping  with  the  highest 
good,  and  then  said  gently,  not  wishing  to  give  needless 
pain: 

"And  you  prefer  the  latter,  do  you  not?" 

"Under  certain  conditions,  yes." 

Again  she  paused.  When  she  spoke  there  was 
decision  in  her  voice: 

"But  you  will  accept  the  other,"  she  said. 

The  automobile  was  rapidly  approaching  the  home 
of  Washington.  I'he  spirit  of  noble  thoughts  and 
deeds  was  about  them.  The  clear  thought  of  the  girl 
at  his  side,  as  well  as  his  own,  lent  their  weight  to  the 
occasion.  For  a  moment  he  closed  his  eyes  but  made 
no  reply. 

"  'Blessed  are  the  peacemakers,'  "  quoted  Lucy, 
"  'for  they  shall  be  called  the  children  of  God. '  What 
a  glorious  promise!"  Then  earnestly:  "All  your  life 
has  been  devoted  to  this  work.  By  your  own  words 
a  peacemaker  is  needed  in  the  department  of  state. 
Will  you  not  accept  the  position  and  continue  the 
great  work  for  which  you  are  so  eminently  fitted,  not 
only  by  your  training,  but  by  your  higher  understand- 
ing of  what  peace,  harmony,  really  is .''  I  am  pleading 
for  our  fellow  citizens,  our  country  and  our  God — 
divine  Love." 

John  seemed  about  to  reply,  but  hesitated  as  the 
machine  came  to  a  stop  and  the  chauffeur  alighted  to 
open  a  gate  that  blocked  the  way.  Lucy  noted  the 
hesitation. 

"Will  you  not  still  continue  a  peacemaker  ?"  she  urged. 


MAKING  FOR  PEACE  123 

John  turned  his  eyes  and  let  them  rest  for  a  moment 
upon  her  fair  face,  radiant  with  spiritual  light.  An 
inspired  sense  of  what  his  decision  might  mean  to  the 
cause  for  which  he  stood,  came  clearly  to  his  thought, 
and  he  replied  slowly: 

"I  will,  if  you  will  promise  to  unite  with  me  in  the 
work;  if  you  will  join  your  more  illuminated  thought 
with  mine  and  transform  the  peacemaker  into  the 
peacemakers.     Will  you,  Lucy?" 

She  gently  placed  her  hand  in  his. 

"But  it  can  only  be  the  peacemaker,  John,  for  we 
shall  be  one  in  thought  and  in  deed." 

The  chauffeur  climbed  back  into  his  seat  and  the 
car  slowly  passed  within  the  peaceful  precincts  of  Mt. 
Vernon. 


BOOK     TWO 


A  DEMONSTRATION 


"  The  fruit  of  righteousness  is  sown  in  peace  of  them  that 
makepeace."  —  James  III:  18. 


CHAPTER  I 

HISTORICAL   AND   OTHERWISE 

Sheltered  from  the  scorching  rays  of  the  tropical 
sun  by  a  broad  awning  stretched  high  above  the  white 
deck,  a  group  of  passengers  is  enjoying  such  glimpses 
of  Polynesian  scenery  as  can  be  caught  through  their 
mariiie  glasses,  while  the  great  liner  plows  her  way 
through  the  placid  waters  of  the  southern  Pacific. 
Islands  are  all  about  them,  some  lying  low  and  sur- 
rounded by  great  encircling  coral  reefs,  while  a  few 
show  abrupt  headlands,  or  sloping  green  hills  against 
the  far  distant  horizon.  It  is  an  ever-changing  picture; 
and  now,  two  days  out  from  Honolulu  and  but  three 
from  their  destination,  the  voyagers  are  drawing  all 
too  quickly  toward  the  end  of  their  journey,  albeit 
scenes  new  and  strange  await  them  there. 

Somewhat  apart  from  the  rest  of  the  company,  but 
interested  listeners  to  the  conversation  about  people 
and  things  which  the  passing  sights  bring  to  mind, 
sit  a  couple  whose  faces  are  strangely  familiar,  although, 
seemingly,  too  young  to  have  figured  in  the  events 
concerning  which  they  chat  as  the  sun  slowly  descends 
toward  the  sea. 

"How  long  did  it  take  you  to  make  the  trip  the  last 
time  you  visited  Elmborn  ?"  the  woman  asked. 

"Over  two  weeks,  I  think,"  was  the  reply.  "But 
the  first  time  I  came  over,  some  eight  or  ten  years 

127 


128  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

after  we  gave  the  Filipinos  their  independence,  it  took 
nearly  a  month," 

"Surely  great  progress  has  been  made  in  the  past 
fifty  years.     Was  that  before  airship  travel,  John  ?" 

"Oh,  no!  I  think  the  first  airship  crossed  the 
Atlantic  during  my  term  in  Congress.  It  does  not 
seem  as  though  that  was  forty  years  ago,  does  it?" 

"Indeed  it  does  not.  As  I  look  back  over  the  years, 
it  would  seem  but  yesterday,  but  for  the  great  spiritual 
progress  I  so  clearly  perceive." 

"Yes,  that  has  been  even  more  marked  than  material 
progress,  so-called,  great  as  that  seems  to  have  been. 
Often,  as  I  stop  to  consider  the  world's  spiritual 
advancement,  I  feel  as  though  the  time  must  be  ap- 
proaching for  some  pronounced  manifestation  of  this 
unfolding  thought;  as  though  the  evening  must  be  so 
far  spent  that  the  dawning  morning  must  soon  mark 
the  completion  of  the  first  day." 

"Still  a  bit  impatient,  John,"  and  the  woman  laid 
her  hand  gently  on  her  companion's  arm.  "Still  a 
little  too  eager  to  leave  the  boat,  although  not  yet  able  to 
walk  the  waves!  Remember  that  the  day  will  dawn 
just  as  fast  as  we  are  able  to  bear  the  light." 

Looking  lovingly  at  the  woman,  as  his  fingers  toyed 
caressingly  with  a  wisp  of  hair  just  tinged  with  gray, 
which  the  wind  had  blown  over  her  shoulder,  the  man 
exclaimed : 

"Surely,  you  must  begin  to  see  the  heavenly  light, 
Lucy;  for  the  pure  in  heart  shall  see  God." 

For  a  few  minutes  there  was  silence  as  the  vessel 
sped  through  the  waters,  and  then  Lucy,  changing  the 
subject  of  conversation,  exclaimed: 


HISTORICAL  AND  OTHERWISE         129 

"Do  you  not  think  we  should  notify  our  friends  of 
our  arrival?  It  seems  a  little  selfish  to  arrive  so 
unceremoniously. " 

"I  expect  you  are  right,  dear,"  replied  John,  "al- 
though I  did  want  to  take  them  completely  by  surprise. 
But  perhaps  the  aerogram  will  be  surprise  enough. 
However,  I  think  I  will  wait  until  we  are  only  a  day 
from  port,  as  we  do  not  want  them  to  become  tired 
waiting." 

"Just  as  you  think,"  laughed  Lucy,  "but  after 
waiting  over  fifteen  years,  it  does  not  seem  that  they 
would  mind  one  more  day." 

"Is  it  really  fifteen  years,  since  we  were  last  here? 
My!     My!     How  time  does  fly  when  one  is  busy!" 

Again  both  lapsed  into  silence  as  their  thoughts  ran 
back  over  the  years  they  had  labored  together;  and  as 
mankind  reckons,  what  a  long  time  it  was.  Years 
have  followed  years  in  quick  succession,  and  decades 
have  run  rapidly  into  decades  until  more  than  four 
have  passed — four  decades  that  have  wrought  great 
and  surprising  changes  in  the  political  and  religious 
history  of  the  world  since  John  Winslow  took  his  place 
in  the  cabinet  of  President  Webster. 

The  movement  for  right  thinking  about  God  and 
man,  started  in  Massachusetts  in  1866,  has  gone 
steadily  forward,  unfaltering  and  unchanged — gather- 
ing force  and  followers  as  the  years  advanced — until 
it  now  appears  that  fully  one-half  the  civilized  world, 
in  one  way  or  another,  has  been  imbued  with  the 
teaching  of  this  practical  and  scientific  Christianity; 
but  this  change,  though  great,  has  been  neither  sur- 
prising nor  unexpected. 


130  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

It  is  in  the  political  history  of  the  world  that  the 
surprising  changes  have  come.  Not  since  the  daj^s  of 
Napoleon,  when  nations  rose  and  fell  in  a  night,  have 
such  happenings  occurred.  New  alliances  have  been 
formed,  kingdoms  have  been  divided,  empires  have 
been  dismembered,  and  out  of  these  divisions  and 
alliances  other  kingdoms  have  been  created,  new 
republics  have  been  established  and  new  powers  have 
arisen. 

As  might  have  been  expected,  the  appearance  of  these 
new  nations  and  the  formation  of  these  new  alliances 
have  made  great  demands  upon  the  United  States  of 
America,  and  many  times  that  nation  has  been  called 
upon  to  tender  its  good  offices  in  the  settlement  of 
some  international  dispute.  Because  of  this,  men  have 
been  needed — men  trained  to  think  along  the  line  of 
the  greatest  good  for  the  greatest  number;  and  no 
citizen  of  the  United  States  has  been  more  active  in 
keeping  tin  peace  of  the  world  or  in  bringinfi;  harmony 
out  of  dis.  ord  than  has  John  Winslow. 

After  eight  years  as  secretary  of  state  under  Presi- 
dent Webster,  during  which  time  the  Filipinos  were 
granted  their  independence,  he  had  been  appointed 
ambassador  to  Russia  at  the  time  when  the  partition 
of  Manchuria  had  been  decided  upon  by  all  the  powers, 
as  the  best  method  of  developing  that  great  country, 
the  product  of  whose  fertile  fields  were  so  badly  needed. 
After  four  years  service,  he  had  been  reappointed,  but 
before  this  term  expired,  he  had  been  assigned  as 
special  commissioner  to  represent  the  United  States  in 
the  settlements  growing  out  of  this  partition.  It  was 
an  arduous  task  and  consumed  laany  months.     But 


HISTORICAL  AND  OTHERWISE        131 

by  the  application  of  the  Golden  Rule,  John  had  made 
settlements  which  had  gained  the  United  States  many 
friends  and  strengthened  her  position  as  the  foremost 
power  for  peace  among  all  the  nations  of  the  earth. 

Returning  home  after  this  successful  work,  he  was 
elected  to  the  United  States  senate  where  he  served  for 
one  term,  but  refused  a  re-election.  When  asked  by  a 
friend  some  time  later  why  he  had  refused,  he  laugh- 
ingly replied: 

"Man's  days  are  four  score  years  and  ten.  He  has 
no  time  to  waste." 

Having  thus  decided,  John  returned  to  Missouri  and 
resumed  his  law  practice.  At  the  expiration  of  three 
years,  however,  he  was  again  called  into  the  diplomatic 
service  on  special  missions  to  several  of  the  new  nations 
whose  creation  has  been  suggested,  and  was  finally 
appointed  ambassador  to  the  court  of  St.  James.  Here 
he  had  served  continuously  until  the  year  previous  to 
the  one  of  which  I  write,  when  he  had  been  recalled 
at  his  own  request. 

It  was  as  ambassador  to  England  that  John  had 
become  particularly  interested  in  the  political  changes 
already  briefly  alluded  to,  for  of  all  the  nations  affected 
by  the  mutations  of  time,  none  has  experienced  greater 
or  more  unexpected  changes  than  have  come  to  the 
British  Empire.  Its  vast  possessions  in  India,  Africa, 
Egypt,  America  and  the  islands  of  the  southern  sea 
have  become  richer  and  more  powerful  than  even  the 
most  daring  had  ventured  to  prophesy.  Year  by  year 
they  have  grown  in  commercial  importance,  and  as 
they  have  thus  grown,  more  and  more  have  they 
insisted  upon  the  right  to  think  and  act  independently. 


132  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

Even  as  early  as  the  first  decade  of  the  present 
century,  one  of  these  imperial  governments  decided 
to  build  a  fleet  of  war-ships  for  home  defense,  and 
others  soon  followed.  In  another  part  of  the  empire 
a  great  union  of  colonies  was  formed  for  additional 
protection.  In  other  sections  these  widely  separated 
principalities  became  more  and  more  self-governed, 
until  finally  one  of  them,  an  island  of  vastly  greater 
area  than  the  British  Isles,  acquired  such  wealth, 
population  and  commercial  prestige,  that  even  as  the 
Roman  empire  was  divided  into  the  eastern  and 
western  empires,  so  did  this,  while  remaining  one  at 
heart,  separate  into  two. 

Out  of  this  southern  island  empire  another  great 
kingdom  has  been  formed,  with  a  government  patterned 
after  the  parent  nation  except  that  the  monarchy  is 
much  less  limited.  The  first  king  was  a  younger  son 
of  the  then  reigning  monarch  of  Great  Britain,  and  in 
honor  of  a  great  and  good  ruler,  Guelph  was  chosen 
as  the  name  of  the  new  kingdom  and  the  city  of  Elm- 
born  was  made  its  capital. 

Into  the  service  of  this  new  and  developing  kingdom 
were  summoned  the  descendants  of  many  of  England's 
oldest  and  most  illustrious  families;  and  that  they 
might  be  provided  with  stations  befitting  their  rank 
and  position,  a  new  nobility  was  created. 

Soon  after  the  formation  of  this  kingdom,  other 
possessions  of  Great  Britain,  as  well  as  colonies  of 
other  nations,  began  to  clamor  for  independence. 
This  was  particularly  true  of  the  island  possessions  in 
the  Pacific  and  Indian  oceans.  Already  the  United 
States  had  granted  independence  to  the  Filipinos,  who 


HISTORICAL  AND  OTHERWISE        133 

had  organized  themselves  into  a  republic.  It  had  been 
named  the  United  States  of  Luzon,  but  is  usually 
referred  to  as  Luzonia.  This  republic  had  at  once 
formed  a  defensive  and  offensive  alliance  with  Japan 
and  Corea  and  the  combination  is  known  as  the  Pacific 
or  Nipponese  alliance,  although  it  must  be  admitted 
that  its  attitude  is  not  always  as  pacific  as  its  name 
implies. 

Next  came  the  organization  of  a  confederation  of 
the  Dutch  possessions  comprising  the  Malay  archipel- 
ago. After  some  fighting,  some  negotiation  and  some 
arbitration,  especially  the  first,  these  colonies  gained 
their  independence.  Having  been  referred  to  by  the 
Dutch  as  the  Eilanden,  and  the  name  having  been 
adopted  by  the  press  of  the  world  during  the  days  of 
revolution,  now  that  they  had  become  a  recognized 
power,  they  were  usually  called  Eiland,  although  their 
official  name  is  the  Javanese  Confederation.  The 
chief  power  in  the  confederation  is  Borneo,  although 
Sumatra,  Java  and  Celebes  are  all  more  powerful  than 
were  manv  of  the  older  nations  at  the  beg-inning  of  the 
century. 

To  the  west  of  Guelph  two  other  powers  have  also 
come  into  existence.  They  are  Vaalmara,  erected  upon 
the  ruins  of  the  Boer  republic,  and  Madagascar. 

The  history  of  the  South  African  union  is  too  well 
known  to  the  readers  of  this  tale  to  need  re-telling.  It 
is  sufiicient  to  say  that  after  a  few  years  of  British  rule, 
the  Boers  again  began  a  struggle  for  independence,  but 
not  by  might  of  arms.  So  persuasive  were  their  appeals 
for  justice  that  they  won  over  to  their  cause  Natal,  the 
Cape  Colony  and  all  Rhodesia.     By  their  united  efforts. 


134  THE  PEACE]VL\KERS 

and  because  of  the  righteousness  of  their  cause,  they 
were  soon  granted  their  freedom.  The  Kongo  Free 
State  immediately  sought  an  alUance  with  the  young 
nation,  and  a  few  years  later  the  German  Damaraland 
on  the  west  and  the  Portugese  possessions  on  the  east 
cast  in  their  lot  with  the  new  confederacy.  This  con- 
dition continued  till  along  in  the  twenties,  when  a 
master  hand  appeared  in  the  person  of  Count  Otto  von 
Waldeck,  who,  out  of  these  various  fragments,  formed 
the  Vaalmaran  Empire,  with  the  German  element  as 
the  dominant  factor;  and  an  empire  it  has  since  re- 
mained. It  is  now  reckoned  a  world  power  and  among 
the  strongest. 

With  the  growth  in  strength  of  Vaalmara  it  was 
impossible  that  France  should  longer  retain  possession 
of  the  Island  of  Madagascar.  The  story  of  the  island 
of  Cuba  was  but  repeated  in  the  history  of  Madagascar. 
Twenty  years  previous  it  was  given  its  independence 
and  is  now  a  flourishing  republic. 

There  is  still  another  of  the  islands  of  the  Pacific 
whose  history  at  this  time  must  not  be  lost  sight  of. 
This  is  Zelandia,  formerly  New  Zealand.  It,  too,  has 
been  granted  its  freedom;  and  such  great  strides  has 
the  commonwealth  made  in  the  science  of  government, 
that  for  nearly  a  score  of  years  it  has  been  absolutely 
without  any  army  or  navy.  Located  at  a  great  distance 
from  the  rest  of  the  world  and  ha^'ing  as  early  as  the 
nineteenth  century  given  striking  proof  of  its  ability 
to  settle  all  its  internal  differences  by  arbitration,  it 
had,  at  the  time  the  events  herein  narrated  took  place, 
been  set  apart,  as  it  were,  by  the  rest  of  the  world  as 
an  experimental  government,  and  as  such  was  proving 


HISTORICAL  AND  OTHERWISE        135 

a  striking  illustration  of  the  practicability  of  the  Golden 
Rule. 

These  southern  and  oriental  nations,  comprised  as 
they  are  within  what  may  be  termed  the  water  hemi- 
sphere of  the  globe,  have  for  the  past  twenty-five  years 
been  left  practically  to  themselves  by  the  older  nations 
of  the  earth  in  so  far  as  the  settlement  of  their  national 
and  international  affairs  are  concerned,  and  gradually 
they  have  come  to  hold  relatively  the  same  positions 
towards  each  other  as  do  the  nations  to  which  they 
chiefly  owe  their  existence. 

During  the  first  two  decades  of  its  thirty  odd  years 
as  an  independent  nation,  Guelph  was  absolutely  at 
peace  with  the  world.  To  be  sure  England  watched 
over  it  as  a  parent  would  a  child;  but,  with  its  vast 
wealth  and  because  of  its  extensive  sea  coast,  the  new 
kingdom  had  speedily  built  a  great  naxj,  and  some 
fifteen  years  previous  to  the  present  time,  having  been 
drawn  into  a  war  with  the  most  powerful  of  the  northern 
oriental  nations,  had  administered  such  a  swift  and 
crushing  defeat  as  had  at  once  placed  it  in  the  rank 
of  a  great  maritime  power.  When  peace  was  declared 
it  had  expended  the  entire  indemnity  it  had  received 
in  further  increasing  its  navy.  Now,  although  the 
nation  is  rich,  the  cost  of  maintaining  this  great  force  of 
armed  ships  and  men  is  becoming  a  burden  which 
the  people  have  declared  their  intention  of  throwing  off. 
Furthermore,  the  building  of  war-vessels  has  raised 
the  cost  of  material  to  such  a  point  that  it  has  almost 
completely  stopped  the  construction  of  the  merchant 
marine,  upon  which  the  future  commercial  growth  of 
the  nation  depends. 


136  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

Located  to  a  large  extent  in  the  tropics,  there  is  still 
a  great  area  of  the  southern  portion  of  Guelph  in  the 
temperate  zone.  Here  had  been  built  up,  during  the 
last  fifty  years  of  its  colonial  existence,  many  mansions 
and  estates  that  compare  favorably  with  the  beautiful 
and  stately  homes  of  old  England.  One  of  the  most 
beautiful  of  these  is  Somerton-by-the-Sea.  It  is  an 
extensive  property,  and  was  originally  laid  out  by  the 
descendant  of  a  famous  English  family,  who  had  been 
led  hither  by  the  spirit  of  adventure  and  discovery. 

Built  by  a  naval  man,  the  mansion  is  peculiar  in 
its  architecture,  having  about  it  many  of  the  charac- 
teristics of  an  old-time  man-of-war.  In  its  exterior 
construction  this  is  most  noticeable  in  a  turret  that 
partakes  largely  of  the  character  of  a  "crow's-nest." 
From  this  lookout,  a  fine  view  is  obtained  of  the  lonj; 
bay  on  one  side  and  the  Southern  ocean  on  the  other. 
This  tower  is  a  favorite  resort  of  all  visitors,  of  which 
Somerton  has  many.  It  was  from  this  tower  that  its 
builder  used  to  watch  for  the  incoming  ships  from  old 
England,  and  it  was  from  this  tower  in  recent  years 
that  Admiral  Sir  William  Moreland — Guelph's  most 
dashing  officer,  and  now  the  first  lord  of  the  ad- 
miralty— watched  the  home-coming  of  the  victorious 
fleet  after  its  sweeping  victory  in  the  north.  Immedi- 
ately after  the  decisive  battle  in  the  Chinese  sea,  he 
had  hauled  down  his  flag  and  hastened  home  in  the 
fastest  cruiser  to  have  a  voice  in  making  the  terms  of 
peace.  When  the  squadrons  had  finally  been  ordered 
to  assemble  in  home  waters  and  the  bay  had  been 
appointed  the  rendezvous,  he  had  taken  a  special  down 
to  the  navy  yard  at  Vreelong  and  thence  to  Somerton. 


HISTORICAL  AND  OTHERWISE       137 

"It  gave  me  a  chance  to  kill  two  birds  with  one  stone," 
the  then  young  admiral  explained  when  he  alighted  at 
the  famous  old  mansion.  "It  gave  an  opportunity  to 
see  the  fleet  at  a  distance  and  to  pay  my  respects  to 
my  friends." 

"An  opportunity  you  did  well  to  grasp,"  said  his 
host.     "We  see  all  too  little  of  you." 

"I  am  a  busy  man,"  Sir  William  replied,  "but  it  is 
life  to  me.  I  love  to  work  and  the  greater  the  oppor- 
tunity, the  better  I  love  it." 

No  better  description  of  Admiral  Moreland  could 
have  been  given,  and  the  admiral  is  a  fair  sample  of 
the  people  of  Guelph.  While  their  kingdom  lies  in 
what  is  commonly  called  the  Orient,  they  have  the 
spirit  of  the  west,  and  but  for  the  conservatism  handed 
down  to  them  by  their  English  ancestors  they  would 
frequently  have  fallen  into  over-zealous  radicalism. 

But  while  in  their  business  and  political  methods 
the  Guelphians  are  breezy  and  active,  in  their  home- 
life  they  partake  more  closely  of  the  characteristics  of 
the  parent  nation;  and  no  spot  in  the  realm  is  more 
typical  of  this  life  than  this  same  Somerton-by-the-Sea, 
where  on  a  glorious  morning  in  December,  while  John 
and  Lucy  are  sailing  southward,  the  magnificent  park 
has  just  awakened  to  life  after  a  night  of  peaceful  and 
refreshing  quiet.  The  dew  is  on  the  grass  and  the 
flowers  have  opened  wide  their  petals  to  drink  in  every 
drop  that  has  gathered  upon  them,  while  the  song- 
birds in  the  trees  above  are  singing  gaily.  Over  the 
lea  comes  the  musical  tinkle  of  the  Swiss  bells  as  the 
kine  get  in  motion  and  start  toward  the  milking-pens, 
cropping  the  fresh  grass  as  they  move  along. 


138  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

But  sweeter  than  the  song  of  birds  or  the  tinkle  of 
bells  is  the  sound  of  childish  laughter  that  comes  rip- 
pling through  the  broad  windows  of  the  stately  mansion, 
which  stands  half  hidden  by  the  great  trees  that  rear 
their  heads  so  proudly  and  yet  so  meekly  toward  the 
blue  and  seemingly  limitless  sky.  It  completes  the 
awakening  symphony  while  bringing  to  the  broad 
veranda  a  barking,  bounding  Dalmatian  hound,  which 
by  every  means  known  to  his  dogship,  evinces  his 
joy  at  hearing  his  little  playmates.  The  barking 
attracts  the  children's  attention  and  a  curly  pate  is 
thrust  out  of  the  window,  while  a  childish  voice  calls: 

"Here  Don!  Here  Don!  Nice  doggy!  Did  you 
get  lonesome?     We'll  be  out  in  a  minute." 

And  almost  immediately  two  rosy-cheeked,  sturdy 
tots  of  some  four  and  six  years  come  tumbling  out  of 
the  door,  nearly  falling  over  Don,  the  exuberance  of 
whose  joy  makes  him  a  good  deal  of  a  barrier  in  the 
way. 

"Get  down,  Don!"  said  the  elder  of  the  two  as  he 
pushed  the  hound  out  of  his  way  and  jumped  to  the 
wide  gravel  walk,  two  steps  at  a  time,  while  the  younger 
hitched  himself  down  the  steps  more  slowly  as  he 
called  out: 

"Wait  for  me,  Harry!     W^ait  for  me!" 

"I'll  wait,"  called  back  the  other,  "but  you  can 
come  faster'n  that,  Bobby!  Look  up  not  down! 
There,  now  jump!     There  you  are!     Go  way,  Don!" 

Again  the  sturdy  youngster  gave  the  dog  a  push  to 
make  him  keep  on  four  feet,  and  then  they  all  started 
up  the  walk  on  a  run,  the  dog  in  the  lead. 

While  they  romp  the  whole  household  is  awakening 


HISTORICAL  AND  OTHERWISE        139 

and  directly  the  sound  of  a  sweet  voice  in  song  is  wafted 
out  of  the  open  doors  and  windows. 

"Listen!"  said  Harry.  "It's  Lady  Judith.  Let's 
go  meet  her,"  and  off  he  darted  around  the  corner 
followed  by  Don  and  the  chubby  Bobby  as  fast  as  his 
little  fat  legs  could  carry  him. 

They  had  no  sooner  disappeared  than  the  singing 
ceased;  but  in  a  couple  of  minutes  they  reappeared 
holding  to  the  hands  and  skirt  of  a  bright,  fresh,  joyous 
young  woman,  clad  in  a  becoming  walking  suit,  with 
her  head  uncovered  except  for  a  wealth  of  hair  that 
closely  resembled  burnished  copper  and  was  done  up  in 
a  iruly  Grecian  fashion  at  the  back. 

To  say  that  Lady  Judith  Osborne  was  attractive 
would  be  a  very  trite  statement  of  an  indisputable 
fact.  Most  young  women  of  twenty-four  who  are  in 
the  full  knowledge  of  their  God-given  health  and  happi- 
ness are  attractive.  Some  may  be  more  so  than  others, 
but  all  have  about  them  that  charm  which  draws  to 
them  more  or  less  attention,  and  makes  for  them 
friends  and  admirers — also  some  more  and  some  less. 
Lady  Judith  was  one  of  those  who  had  rather  more 
than  less,  although  it  must  be  admitted  that  her  ad- 
mirers were  more  numerous  than  her  friends.  This  is 
due  to  the  fact  that  Lady  Judith  is  inclined  to  make 
the  circle  of  her  friends  rather  small,  but  she  cannot 
prevent  people  from  admiring  her  from  afar — both  on 
account  of  her  personal  appearance,  and  from  the 
further  fact  that  she  is  the  daughter  of  the  prime 
minister  of  Guelph  and  the  Marchioness  of  Oxley  in 
her  own  right. 

That  Lady  Judith  is  very  well  satisfied  with  her 


140  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

position  in  life,  she  has  already  given  proof  on  several 
occasions — ^when  besought  to  change  her  lot  of  single 
blessedness  by  men  who  are  considered  suitable  alliances 
by  those  competent  to  judge.  She  evidently  has  her 
own  idea  of  what  constitutes  happiness,  however,  and 
up  to  the  present  time  it  has  not  appeared  to  depend 
upon  any  man  other  than  her  father. 

Right  here  it  may  be  well  to  explain  that  the  young 
marchioness  and  her  illustrious  father,  the  Duke  of 
Lackland,  are  on  terms  of  the  closest  intimacy.  Having 
had  no  mother  that  she  could  recollect,  her  father  has 
ever  been  her  confidant.  He,  in  turn,  as  his  daughter 
has  grown  out  of  her  girlhood  and  developed  into  a 
brilliant  and  talented  young  woman,  has  come  to 
depend  upon  her  more  and  more,  not  only  in  his  home 
and  social  life,  but  as  a  counsellor  in  the  affairs  of 
state. 

"I  do  not  know,"  he  once  said  to  her,  when  she  had 
suggested  the  solution  of  a  puzzling  diplomatic  problem, 
"where  you  get  your  insight  into  international  affairs." 

"I  think  I  must  inherit  it  from  my  father,"  she  said 
with  a  laugh,  "unless,  perhaps,  it  be  from  some  of  my 
more  distant,  but  no  more  illustrious  ancestors." 

"I  do  not  know  about  that,"  he  replied,  tweaking  her 
ear,  "but  your  grasp  upon  some  of  these  complicated 
matters  is  little  short  of  a  miracle." 

"You  knew  the  solution,  father,  better  than  I,"  she 
said  gravely,  "but  you  have  the  fear  that  comes  of 
age  and  past  experience;  while  I,  in  my  youth,  see 
nothing  but  the  bright  side  and  have  not  yet  learned 
to  be  afraid." 

The  duke  regarded  her  tenderly  for  several  minutes 


HISTORICAL  AND  OTHERWISE        141 

and  then  exclaimed  in  a  voice  of  pride  and  affection: 
"That  answer  alone  stamps  you  as  a  most  extraordinary 
young  woman." 

These  little  exchanges  of  mutual  confidence  became 
more  and  more  frequent  as  the  girl  matured,  until 
Lady  Judith  has  now  become  her  father's  almost  sole 
adviser.  And  had  it  not  been  that  the  warm  weather 
had  brought  the  duke  down  to  his  country  home,  it 
is  doubtful  if  his  daughter  would  have  left  Elmborn 
even  for  a  visit  to  such  dear  friends  as  those  at  Somerton- 
by-the-Sea. 

She  had  been  promising  herself  this  pleasure  for  the 
past  six  months,  for  there  was  no  place  outside  of 
Lackland  Hall  in  which  she  felt  so  much  at  home  as 
Somerton.  Being  in  the  same  county,  and  the  roads  in 
perfect  condition,  it  did  not  take  long  for  the  fast- 
flying  electric  motors  to  annihilate  the  space  between 
the  two  estates;  and  so,  from  her  early  girlhood,  Lady 
Judith  had  been  in  the  habit  of  paying  frequent  visits 
to  Somerton,  where  Sir  Allin  and  Lady  Strong  had 
been  real  foster  parents  to  her.  In  fact  Lady  Strong 
had  been  the  only  mother  she  could  remember,  and 
much  of  Lady  Judith's  fearlessness  and  self-reliance 
were  due  to  the  broad  American  ideas  gained  from 
this  loving  lady. 

For  Lady  Strong  was  a  Canadian.  She  had  been 
Miss  Edna  Gray  and  had  married  Sir  Allin  years 
before  when  he  was  plain  Allin  Strong  Shortly  before 
the  birth  of  their  first  child,  a  daughter  whom  they 
had  named  Constance,  Allin  through  his  mother,  fell 
heir  to  the  estate  and  title  of  Somerton,  and  when  the 
national  changes,  heretofore  referred  to,  had  occurred 


142  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

a  couple  of  years  later  they  had  removed  hither  from 
Quebec.  Here  had  been  born  their  two  other  children, 
Thomas,  the  heir  to  the  estate  and  title — who  had 
adopted  the  family  name  of  Allin  in  accordance  with 
the  terms  of  his  kinsman's  will  as  well  as  in  honor  of 
his  great  ancestor,  Admiral  Sir  Thomas  Allin — and 
Sibyl,  who  was  the  same  age  as  Lady  Judith. 

Just  how  Sir  Allin  had  become  so  intimate  with  the 
Duke  of  Lackland  would  have  been  hard  for  anyone 
not  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  character  of  the 
two  men  to  have  told.  It  was  the  mystery  of  the 
county  side;  but  it  was  really  in  no  way  remarkable. 
It  simply  grew  out  of  the  fact  that  Sir  Allin  was  a 
nobleman  in  the  true  sense  of  the  word — a  perfect 
gentleman,  after  the  model  of  the  world's  great  exemplar, 
the  First  True  Gentleman  that  ever  lived.  The  duke 
being  a  man  of  education  and  discernment,  was  quickly 
impressed  Avith  Sir  Allin 's  kindly  thought,  which  was 
reflected  in  his  every  action;  and  when,  early  in  his 
political  career  he  needed  a  staunch  friend,  supporter 
and  adviser.  Sir  Allin  was  the  man  to  whom  he  turned. 
It  was  plain  that  he  had  something  which  other  men 
of  the  duke's  acquaintance  did  not  have;  but  as  Sir 
Allin  never  forced  his  opinions  and  beliefs  upon  anyone, 
the  duke,  a  typical  English  gentleman,  was  careful  never 
to  show  any  indication  of  inquisitiveness. 

As  soon  as  Lady  Judith  became  old  enough  to  visit 
Somerton  without  her  father,  however,  she  was  quick 
to  notice  that  Sir  Allin's  family  was  greatly  different 
from  others  she  knew.  There  was  about  the  house- 
hold an  air  of  repose  and  orderly  harmony  that  she 
was  unaccustomed  to,  even  in  as  dignified  an  atmos- 


HISTORICAL  AND  OTHERWISE         143 

pliere  as  Lackland  Hall.  The  Strong  children  were 
always  happy,  peaceable  and  healthy,  and  while  they 
occasionally  met  with  little  bumps,  or  other  childish 
injuries,  they  never  seemed  to  pay  any  attention  to, 
or  talk  about  them.  In  fact  the  atmosphere  of  the 
whole  household  was  so  different  that  she  asked  her 
father  why  it  was.  He  looked  at  her  sternly  for  a 
moment  as  he  replied : 

"Remember  your  position,  and  never  allow  yourself 
to  show  any  curiosity  concerning  your  friends  and 
neighbors." 

"But,  father,  I  am  curious,"  she  insisted.  "Why 
don't  the  children  cry  when  they  fall  down  and  bump 
their  heads  ?     It  isn't  natural." 

The  duke  bit  his  lip  to  keep  from  smiling  as  he 
replied:  "It  may  be  natural  to  them.  It  is  certainly  a 
good  trait  and  I  hope  you  will  pattern  after  them." 

Year  by  year  as  Lady  Judith  came  to  know  the  family 
better  and  to  see  the  harmony  existing  in  it,  she  had 
tried  little  by  little  to  pattern  after  it  in  many  ways, 
until  at  length,  when  she  had  come  to  partially  under- 
stand the  reason  for  it  all,  she  had,  without  saying  any- 
thing to  her  father,  tried  to  learn  more  of  that  Truth 
which  was  guiding  and  protecting  Sir  Allin's  family. 

When  Lady  Judith  was  eighteen,  Constance,  the 
elder  daughter  of  Sir  Allin,  paid  a  visit  to  America, 
and  shortly  after  her  return  married  a  gentleman  with 
whom  she  had  become  acquainted  while  there — Judge 
Morgan  Taylor,  C.  S.  D.,  LL.  D.  To  them  had  been 
born  Harold  and  Robert,  the  youngsters  who  now 
held  Lady  Judith  captive  and  were  leading  her  up  the 
broad  walk. 


144  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"Let's  go  out  and  look  at  the  deers,"  said  Harold 
as  he  tugged  at  Lady  Judith's  hand.  "They'll  be  up 
by  the  pen." 

"Yes,  let's,"  echoed  sturdy  Bobby.  "Let's  look  at 
the  deers." 

"All  right,"  said  Lady  Judith,  "but  you  shouldn't 
say  deers — just  deer,  the  same  as  though  there  were 
only  one  deer." 

"Mommer  calls  us  dears,"  said  Bobby,  "and 
mommer  knows." 

Lady  Judith  laughed:  "Yes,  mommer  knows.  You 
are  dears  but  not  the  kind  that  run  in  the  park." 

"We  run  in  the  park,"  said  Harry.  "We'd  rather 
run  in  the  park  than  anywhere." 

"Such  boys!"  she  exclaimed.  "But  the  deer  that 
we  are  going  to  see  are  not  the  kind  that  are  dears." 

"I  think  they  are,"  said  Bobby,  "they  are  the  dearest 
little  deers  in  the  world." 

"Except  Lady  Judith,"  interrupted  Harold,  "she's 
the  dearest  dear." 

Lady  Judith  shook  her  head  as  she  laughingly 
exclaimed:  "It's  no  use.     I'll  give  it  up!" 

"Give  what  up?"  said  a  voice  at  her  shoulder  that 
caused  her  to  give  the  least  bit  of  a  start.  "I  did  not 
know  that  the  Lady  Judith  ever  gave  up  anything." 

"It's  Uncle  Tom!  It's  Uncle  Tom!"  cried  both  the 
children  at  once,  and  letting  go  Lady  Judith  they 
seized  upon  the  stalwart  young  man  who  had  so  sud- 
denly made  his  appearance,  striving  to  see  which  should 
be  first  on  his  shoulder. 

"You  didn't  answer  my  question.?"  said  the  young 
man  as  soon  as  he  had  given  each  of  the  youngsters  a 


HISTORICAL  AND  OTHERWISE         145 

welcoming  kiss  and  they  had  calmed  down  enough  to 
make  talking  possible.  "What  was  it  you  were  giving 
up?" 

"Trying  to  explain  the  mysteries  of  their  own 
language  to  two  young  Englishmen,"  she  said.  "I 
was  trying  to  teach  them  not  to  say  deers.  But  I 
thought  you  were  in  Elmbom." 

"So  I  was,  but  I  heard  you  were  here  and  came 
down." 

"You  think  Lady  Judith  is  a  dear,  don't  you,  Uncle 
Tom.?"  suddenly  asked  Harold,  his  mind  reverting  to 
the  language  lesson. 

Lady  Judith's  face  turned  pink. 

"How  dare  you  ask  such  a  question,"  said  Tom 
with  emphasis,  "when — " 

"Yes,  indeed,"  interrupted  Lady  Judith,  "how  dare 
you  ask  such  a  question  ?" 

"When  you  know  that  I  do,"  finished  Tom. 

Lady  Judith's  face  became  more  pink  and  a  startled 
little  laugh  escaped  her  as  she  exclaimed:  "How  can 

you?" 

"How  can  I  help  it  ?"  he  echoed  under  his  breath. 

There  is  no  telling  what  might  have  followed  had 
not  Bobby  caught  sight  of  his  father  on  the  veranda 
and  called  out:  "See,  father,  see!  Uncle  Tom's  come 
home!" 

Judge  Taylor  descended  the  steps  and  approached 
with  extended  hand:  "This  is  indeed  unexpected.  We 
hadn't  hoped  to  see  you  before  Christmas.  To  what 
do  we  owe  the  pleasure  ?" 

Tom  looked  at  Lady  Judith  questioningly  as  he 
Fcplied:  "Oh,  just  a  desire  to  leave  Elmborn.     Every- 


146  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

one  I  cared  for  had  left  and  I  thought  I  might  as  well 
do  likewise.  Everyone  at  home  is  well,  of  course?"  he 
continued  with  a  quizzical  smile. 

"I  am  glad  that  at  least  you  do  not  doubt  that," 
said  Judge  Taylor.  "There  is  that  much  hope  for 
you." 

"Why  should  I  doubt  it,  Judge?  I  have  never  seen 
any  of  them  any  other  way,"  and  again  Tom  smiled 
broadly. 

"And  you  see  no  reason  why  your  father's  family 
should  be  free  from  sickness  and  inharmony,  while,  all 
around  them,  many  families  are  continually  suffering 
from  both  .^" 

"Oh,  yes,"  said  Tom,  "I  see  a  very  good  reason. 
They  are  healthier." 

Lady  Judith  looked  at  the  young  man  with  surprise. 

"How  can  you,  brought  up  as  you  have  been,  make 
such  an  answer  as  that.''"  she  exclaimed. 

"How  would  you  have  me  answer?" 

"According  to  your  real  conviction.  You  know  well 
that  the  freedom  of  your  father's  family  from  sickness 
is  due  to  their  right  thought." 

"I  am  not  so  sure  of  it,"  insisted  Tom.  "I  see 
plenty  of  other  people  well  and  happy  who  have  an 
entirely  different  thought  from  theirs." 

"Do  not  worry  about  Tom,"  said  Judge  Taylor. 
"He  is  just  talking  for  the  sake  of  argument.     He  is — " 

"He's  just  talking  error,  that's  all,"  put  in  Harold 
who  had  been  listening  intently  to  all  that  had  been 
said.    "But  just  wait  until  he  gets  sick;  then  you'll  see." 

"Then  you  think  it  is  possible  for  me  to  get  sick, 
do  you  ?" 


HISTORICAL  AND  OTHERWISE        147 

"Anybody  who  thinks  error  can  get  sick,"  replied 
the  child. 

The  sound  of  the  breakfast  bell  interrupted  the  con- 
versation, and  both  boys  made  for  the  house  as  fast 
as  they  could  run,  with  Don  barking  at  their  heels. 

Seated  at  the  breakfast  table  the  conversation, 
stimulated  by  Tom's  arrival,  touched  upon  pretty 
nearly  all  the  topics  of  the  day  and  finally  drifted  to 
people  and  affairs  across  the  sea. 

"What  seems  to  be  the  opinion  in  Elmborn  regarding 
the  action  of  the  Canadian  parliament?"  asked  Sir 
Allin.  "Will  it  be  satisfied  with  home  rule  or  will  it 
seek  absolute  independence.^" 

"I'm  not  authority  on  public  sentiment,"  replied 
Tom.  "Lady  Judith,  being  on  the  inside,  ought  to 
have  better  information,  even  though  longer  from 
town." 

"I'm  not  good  at  conundrums.  Sir  Allin.  You 
never  can  tell  what  a  lot  of  ambitious  men  may  do," 
declared  Lady  Judith.  "But  if  Canada  wants  inde- 
pendence I  favor  it." 

"Which  means  that  the  duke  and  his  majesty  favor 
it,  I  suppose?"  ventured  Judge  Taylor. 

"Not  at  all,"  said  his  wife.  "Lady  Judith  and  her 
father  are  not  always  agreed  upon  national  policies." 

"Not  at  first,"  said  Sir  Allin  with  an  odd  little  smile. 

"Now,  Sir  Allin,"  laughed  Lady  Judith,  "you  know 
I  do  not  always  have  things  my  own  way." 

"My  dear  young  lady,  I  did  not  say  that  you  did. 
I  simply  said  that  at  first  you  were  not  agreed." 

"And  you  know  I  give  in  quite  as  often  as  father." 

"Considering  that  your  father  is  the  prime  minister 


148  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

of  Guelph,"  said  Sir  Allin  with  a  merry  twinkle  in  his 
eye,  "let  us  hope  so;  at  least  for  a  few  years  yet." 

"  Why  ?"  asked  Judge  Taylor  with  a  laugh.  "Woman 
was  made  to  rule." 

"And  I  know  a  woman  whose  rule,  I  think,  would 
almost  revolutionize  the  world,"  declared  Sir  Allin, 

"Who  is  she?"  queried  Lady  Judith. 

"She  is  the  wife  of  the  foremost  American  diplomat 
of  today,  Mrs.  Lucy  Lee  Winslow.  Of  all  the  women 
I  have  ever  met,  I  have  never  known  one  who  was  so 
quick  to  detect  error  of  every  sort,  or  who  could  so 
easily  bring  harmony  out  of  chaos.  I  feel  that  it  is 
she,  quite  as  much  as  her  husband,  who  is  responsible 
for  the  lead  the  United  States  has  taken  in  the  effort 
to  bring  about  international  disarmament  as  well  as  to 
increase  the  sentiment  of  the  American  people  in  favor 
of  such  action." 

"I  have  often  heard  my  father  speak  of  Mr. 
Winslow,"  said  Lady  Judith,  "but  I  do  not  think  he 
ever  met  his  wife.     Has  she  ever  visited  Guelph  ?" 

"  Oh,  yes !  At  the  time  Mr.  Winslow  was  ambassadoi 
to  Russia  some  years  ago,  they  spent  several  months 
here  on  their  return  to  America.  It  was  a  couple  of 
years  later,  however,  right  after  your  father  became 
prime  minister,  that  he  met  Mr.  Winslow,  who  came 
over  on  a  special  diplomatic  mission  in  the  final  settle- 
ment of  the  apportionment  of  Manchuria." 

"That  must  have  been  about  the  time  you  were 
active  in  politics,"   ventured  Lady  Judith. 

"Being  well  acquainted  with  Mr.  Winslow,"  ex- 
plained Sir  Allin,  "I  became  likewise  well  acquainted 
with  your  father.     I  doubt  if  ever  a  matter  of  so  great 


HISTORICAL  AND  OTHERWISE         149 

importance  between  nations,  was  settled  with  so  little 
trouble  as  was  that. 

"I  shall  never  forget  the  first  conference.  I  was 
invited  to  be  present.  The  duke  had  prepared  certain 
concessions  he  was  willing  to  make.  Mr.  Winslow 
looked  them  over  and  after  a  few  moments  said :  'They 
are  hardly  fair,  My  Lord !'  The  duke  frowned.  'What 
more  do  you  wish,  sir.?'  he  asked.  'You  mistake,  My 
Lord,'  said  Winslow.  T  mean  they  are  hardly  fair  to 
Guelph.     You  have  conceded  more  than  we  ask.' 

"I  nearly  laughed  at  the  surprised  expression  on 
the  duke's  face  as  it  changed  from  a  frown  to  a  smile. 
He  looked  at  Winslow  for  fully  a  minute  before  he 
replied.  Then  he  broke  into  a  hearty  laugh  and  as 
he  brought  his  fist  down  upon  the  table  with  a  sounding 
whack  he  said:  'Egad,  sir,  this  is  a  new  kind  of  diplo- 
macy to  me.  You  are  the  first  man  I  ever  saw  who 
would  not  take  all  he  could  get,  fair  or  unfair.  Has 
the  United  States  turned  philanthropist?'  'Oh,  I  don't 
know,'  replied  John  with  his  good-natured  smile,  'the 
United  States  gave  Spain  twenty  millions  for  the  Philip- 
pines when  she  might  have  taken  them  for  nothing.' 
'Yes,'  said  the  duke,  'but  when  you  gave  the  Filipinos 
their  freedom  they  paid  you  back.' 

"But,"  continued  Sir  Allin,  "from  that  moment  there 
was  no  hitch.  The  duke  saw  that  the  United  States 
wanted  to  be  fair  and  the  government  of  Guelph  met 
it  more  than  half  way.  It  took  a  load  off  your 
father's  mind,  as  that  was  the  year  that  Benton  made 
his  great  attack  upon  the  government.  Had  the  other 
members  of  the  cabinet  been  governed  by  your  father's 
advice  and  settled  with  Japan  and  Germany  as  with 


150  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

the  United  States,  the  ministry  would  not  have  fallen 
the  following  year  and  much  trouble  would  have  been 
averted. 

"Jack, — I  call  him  Jack  because  he  and  I  were 
schoolmates  and  roommates,  I  won't  tell  you  how  many 
years  ago, — stopped  with  us  in  town  while  on  this  mis- 
sion. That  evening  in  talking  over  our  interview  with 
the  duke,  I  said  to  him:  'I  see  you  are  still  practicing 
the  Golden  Rule,  Jack.' 

"He  laughed  just  as  he  used  to  at  school  as  he 
replied :' Just  the  same,  AUin !  Just  the  same!  If  you 
wish  good  treatment,  you  must  treat  others  as  you 
would  have  them  treat  you.  I  think  that  was  the 
first  thing  I  told  you  when  you  came  to  Reciproca, 
wasn't  it?' 

"  'Yes,'  I  replied.  'And  do  you  remember  what  I 
told  you  a  few  nights  after  .'*' 

"  'Can't  say  that  I  do,'  was  his  answer. 

"  'I  remember  it  very  well,  I  said:  Jack,  you  are  all 
right,  but  you  are  an  awful  mollycoddle!' 

A  maid  at  this  moment  entered  with  a  sealed 
envelope. 

"A  messenger  just  brought  it  from  Vreelong,"  she 
explained. 

Sir  Allin  opened  it  and  glanced  hastily  over  the 
message,  while  an  expression  of  pleased  surprise  burst 
from  his  lips. 

"It  is  from  Jack!"  he  exclaimed.  "He  is  on  board 
the  steamship  Atlantis  and  will  be  here  tomorrow." 

"Not  really  the  same  Mr.  Winslow  of  whom  we 
have  just  been  talking?"  queried  Lady  Judith. 

"The  very  same,"  declared  Sir  Allin  joj^ully. 


HISTORICAL  AND  OTHERWISE        151 

"And  is  he  an  awful  mollycoddle,  grandpa?"  asked 
Harold. 

Sir  Allin  laughed  with  the  light-heartedness  of  a 
boy  as  he  replied: 

"Just  you  wait  and  see." 


CHAPTER  II 

LADY  Judith's  first  lesson 

The  present  prime  minister  of  the  kingdom  ol 
Guelph,  Charles  Edward  Frederick  Poole  Osborne, 
second  duke  of  Lackland,  is  a  descendant  of  one  of 
the  early  dukes  of  Suffolk,  all  of  whom,  for  centuries, 
have  been  prominent  figures  in  English  history.  Not 
all  of  these  dukes  have  by  any  means  been  good  and 
not  all  have  been  successful — in  fact  one,  who  was 
prime  minister  back  in  the  seventeenth  century,  made 
such  a  mess  of  it  that  the  king  cut  off  his  head;  but 
whether  good  or  bad,  successes  or  failures,  the  majority 
of  them  have  left  their  imprint  upon  the  history  of 
their  times.  Even  so  the  Duke  of  Lackland  has 
already  left  his  mark  upon  the  history  of  Guelph  and 
with  a  firm  belief  in  his  own  ability,  he  has  made  him- 
self easily  the  first  man  in  the  realm. 

From  the  brief  introduction  through  the  breakfast- 
table  chat  recorded  in  the  last  chapter,  one  might  think 
that  the  Duke  of  Lackland  was  easily  moved,  either 
through  personal  attachment  or  the  character  of  his 
environments;  but  such  is  not  the  case.  True,  he  may 
have  made  some  mistakes,  but  being  a  man  of  indomi- 
table will  and  having  always  aimed  at  the  highest 
good,  his  influence  upon  the  brief  history  of  the  nation 
and  upon  his  own  times  has  been  for  the  betterment 
of  mankind. 

152 


LADY  JUDITH'S  FIRST  LESSON        153 

The  Duke  had  succeeded  to  his  title  when  but  twenty- 
five  years  of  age,  and  immediately  took  his  seat  in  the 
House  of  Lords.  It  was  the  critical  period  in  the 
formation  of  the  government  of  Guelph  and  so  active 
was  he  in  promoting  the  interests  of  the  kingdom,  and 
such  a  clear  understanding  did  he  show  of  the  needs 
of  the  rapidly  growing  nation,  that  when  Albert  II 
ascended  the  throne  he  called  upon  the  Duke  of  Lack- 
land to  form  a  ministry. 

By  birth  the  duke  was  the  first  peer  of  the  realm, 
and  while  not  related  by  blood  to  the  reigning  family, 
he  had,  soon  after  he  succeeded  to  the  title,  married  the 
king's  sister.  When  his  daughter  Judith  was  born, 
Albert,  himself  childless,  had,  as  a  special  mark  of 
favor,  created  her  Marchioness  of  Oxley — the  title 
nearest  the  crown. 

Being  an  upright  man,  with  a  strong  sense  of  living 
up  to  his  highest  conviction  of  right,  the  duke  could 
not  fail  to  have  many  opponents  and  some  pronounced 
enemies.  Whether  the  Honorable  George  Lytton 
Benton  belonged  to  the  first  or  last  of  these  two  classes, 
the  duke  was  for  many  years  unable  to  decide.  Being 
political  rivals,  they  had  quite  naturally  indulged  in 
some  strong  terms  concerning  each  other's  policies; 
but  it  had  never  entered  the  mind  of  the  duke  to  hold 
any  personal  enmity  against  his  opponent.  It  had 
only  been  against  the  things  for  which  Benton  stood 
that  the  duke  had  been  outspoken  in  his  condemna- 
tion, regarding  them  as  unwise  and  against  the  welfare 
of  the  young  kingdom. 

While  for  years  the  duke  has  been  the  undisputed 
leader  of  the  House  of  Lords,  Benton  had  been  the 


154  THE  PEACEIVIAKERS 

leader  of  the  House  of  Commons  for  almost  a  corre- 
sponding period,  although  he  was  some  years  the  duke's 
junior.  As  in  the  case  of  Disraeli  and  Gladstone,  first 
one  and  then  the  other  had  dominated  parliament  and 
the  government.  Each  had  been  prime  minister  once 
and  the  duke  twice — being  now  in  his  second  term. 
Benton's  opportunity  had  come  at  the  time  when  Guelph 
had  engaged  in  its  only  war — a  war  which  Benton 
advised  but  to  which  the  duke  was  opposed.  Although 
it  had  resulted  in  a  signal  victory  for  the  new  kingdom, 
the  commercial  results  had  been  bad,  and  so,  when  the 
time  came  for  another  test,  the  duke  had  been  able  to 
point  out  wherein  the  war  had  been  an  evil  instead  of 
an  unmitigated  good. 

At  the  present  time,  in  conjunction  with  the  great 
powers  of  the  world,  a  leading  question  before  the 
Guelphians  is  that  of  disarmament.  For  more  than 
fifty  years  every  peace  congress  held  and  every  session 
of  the  Hague  tribunal  has  concerned  itself  with  this 
matter,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  ever  recurring 
Eastern  question,  all  of  the  great  powers,  under  certain 
conditions,  would  have  been  glad  to  reduce  their  arma- 
ment to  the  lowest  possible  force — a  force  simply  suffi- 
cient to  police  their  coast  and  frontiers  and  to  keep  in 
order  the  dissatisfied  of  their  own  people,  of  which 
there  still  seemed  a  plenty. 

But  there  were  reasons  other  than  political  and  the 
difference  of  birth  which,  from  the  first,  made  the 
Duke  of  Lackland  and  George  Lytton  Benton  natural 
adversaries — for  politics  is  only  a  difference  of  opinion, 
while  birth  at  best,  is  but  an  awakening.  The  duke 
was  a  man  who,  as  has  been  said,  ever  lived  up  to  his 


LADY  JUDITH'S  FIRST  LESSON        155 

highest  conviction  of  right,  while  Benton  made  the 
most  of  every  political  opportunity,  whether  in  line 
with  his  convictions  or  otherwise.  While  it  could  not 
be  said  that  he  had  ever  been  found  on  both  sides  of 
any  particular  question,  he  had  frequently  ignored,  com- 
pletely, issues  upon  which  he  had  previously  taken  a 
radical  stand,  declaring  that  the  condition  which  made 
the  question  paramount  had  ceased  to  exist.  He  was 
ever  creating  new  issues,  and  was  a  great  favorite  with 
the  common  people.  If  not  a  demagogue,  he  certainly 
laid  himself  open  to  the  charge. 

While  but  little  past  forty,  he  had  been  a  prominent 
figure  in  Guelphian  politics  since  he  became  of  age. 
Left  an  enormous  estate  by  his  father,  a  billionaire 
steel  manufacturer,  he  had  so  managed  the  property 
as  to  greatly  increase  his  wealth;  and  one  of  the  most 
serious  charges  made  against  him  was  that  he  was  in 
politics  to  advance  his  personal  affairs  rather  than 
those  of  the  government.  He  had  large  interests  in 
various  lines  of  industries  in  many  lands  and  large 
holdings  in  railroad  and  industrial  securities.  At  the 
time  he  had  been  premier,  he  had  taken  the  portfolio 
of  commerce  and  labor,  so  that  there  seemed  some 
foundation  for  the  charge  that  he  administered  the 
affairs  of  the  government  to  meet  the  needs  of  his 
corporations,  rather  than  the  needs  of  the  people. 

Wealth,  however,  was  not  his  ambition.  More  than 
all  else  he  craved  power.  It  was  for  this  that  he  had 
entered  politics,  and  his  success  had  been  so  great, 
that  during  his  term  as  premier  he  had  allowed  his 
fancy  to  soar  in  the  wildest  flights.  Realizing  that  it 
would  be  difficult  to  attain  the  height  to  which  he 


156  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

aspired  unless  he  were  elevated  to  the  peerage,  he  had 
tried  his  best  to  secure  a  patent  of  Guelphian  nobility. 
Not  having  been  able,  however,  to  do  this,  he  decided 
that  the  easiest  way  to  attain  his  ambition  was  through 
marriage — and  if  by  marriage,  why  not  with  the 
daughter  of  his  strongest  rival  ?  He  readily  perceived 
the  possibilities  arising  from  such  an  union  and  so  the 
one  upon  whom  his  choice  had  fallen  was  the  Lady 
Judith  Osborne. 

Political  considerations  had  opened  to  him  the  doors 
of  Oxley  House,  the  duke's  city  residence,  and  he  had 
made  the  most  of  these  opportunities  in  becoming 
acquainted  with  the  young  marchioness.  Being  a  man 
of  many  attainments,  and,  with  all  his  business  acumen, 
likewise  a  brilliant  scholar,  a  fascinating  conversationa- 
list and  a  man  of  unusual  culture — developed  through 
travel  and  association  with  the  brightest  men  in  the 
world — he  did  not  lack  for  topics  or  words  to  make 
himself  agreeable.  Endowed  by  nature  with  a  physique 
which  made  him  conspicuous,  his  personal  appearance 
alone  was  sufficient  to  attract  the  attention  of  most 
women.  Dashing  in  appearance  and  manner,  he  had 
also  a  magnetic  personality  and  knew  full  well  how  to 
make  the  best  use  of  his  abilities. 

Thus  equipped,  and  being  considerably  her  senior, 
Benton  had  at  first  made  a  most  favorable  impression 
upon  the  young  marchioness.  As  she  came  to  know 
him  better,  however,  she  detected  in  him  the  absence 
of  that  true  manliness  that  appeals  to  a  noble  character, 
and  had  it  not  been  that  she  recognized  in  him  a  power- 
ful political  leader  she  would  have  avoided  him  entirely. 

But  it  was  just  at  this  time  that  the  duke  was  en- 


LADY  JUDITH'S  FIRST  LESSON        157 

deavoring  to  bring  about  certain  reforms  in  the  adminis- 
tration of  industrial  affairs,  and  on  her  father's  account 
she  tried  to  lay  aside  her  prejudices  and  treat  the 
premier  courteously.  Try  as  she  would,  however, 
there  was  something  about  him  that  repelled  her,  and 
she  quickly  perceived  that  even  in  his  most  popular 
measures  he  was  selfish  and  insincere.  When  at  last 
her  woman's  wit  disclosed  to  her  his  real  intentions, 
she  was  filled  with  a  repugnance  which  she  took  no 
pains  to  conceal. 

But  Benton  was  not  a  man  to  be  easily  avoided. 
As  premier  of  Guelph  he  had  a  social  standing  that 
was  quite  as  exalted  to  some  in  this  new  kingdom  as 
though  he  were  of  noble  birth,  and,  so,  in  spite  of  her 
attempt  to  shun  him,  he  finally  found  the  opportunity 
he  desired  to  make  known  to  her  his  wishes. 

It  was  at  an  embassy  ball  given  in  the  palace.  With 
her  father.  Lady  Judith  had  been  in  waiting  upon  the 
king  and  queen.  Upon  their  retirement  she  and  the 
Duchess  of  Newcomb  had  become  the  center  of  a  little 
group  in  one  of  the  numerous  alcoves  with  which  the 
palace  abounds,  but  gradually  she  had  been  left  alone. 
First  her  father  had  been  led  away  by  Admiral  More- 
land  to  meet  a  visiting  dignitary.  Then  his  grace  of 
Penrose  had  claimed  the  duchess  for  a  dance.  A  few 
minutes  later  she  had  deliberately  sent  away  a  couple 
of  the  younger  court  ladies  who  had  failed  to  interest 
her,  and  was  about  to  seek  more  entertaining  company 
when  she  was  confronted  by  the  prime  minister.  She 
started  to  rise  but  he  detained  her. 

"Do  not  go,"  he  said,  "I  have  something  to  say  to 
you  that  I  am  sure  will  interest  you,  although  at  first 


158  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

it  may  be  new  and  startling.  I  hope  before  I  finish, 
however,  that  you  will  see  the  wisdom  of  what  I  have 
to  propose  and  will  honor  my  proposal." 

Again  she  started  to  arise.  "I  should  greatly  prefer 
not  to  hear  it,"  she  said.  "I  am  sure  it  will  not  meet 
with  my  approval." 

"And  even  at  that,  it  may  interest  you,"  he  said  in 
a  manner  most  courteous.  "Pray  remain  seated.  I 
shall  not  detain  you  long." 

His  -manner  was  so  quiet  and  yet  so  forceful,  that 
while  Lady  Judith  felt  certain  of  what  he  was  about 
to  say,  she  could  not  refuse  to  listen. 

"The  matter  upon  which  I  would  speak,"  he  said 
gravely,  "is  one  very  near  my  heart,  and  I  have  the 
honor  to  believe  that,  although  a  political  antagonist  of 
your  father,  I  shall  have  his  full  sanction  in  the  matter." 

Lady  Judith  looked  at  him  increduously  and  was 
about  to  utter  a  protest,  but  he  interrupted  her. 

"I  know  what  you  would  say,"  he  declared,  "but 
with  your  youth  and  inexperience  in  the  ways  of  the 
world,  you  do  not  comprehend  what  may  come  into 
the  minds  of  men,  especially  of  those  who,  like  your 
father  and  myself,  have  to  deal  with  diplomatic  affairs." 

Then,  much  as  though  he  were  setting  forth  a  line 
of  policy  to  a  meeting  of  cabinet  ministers,  he  made 
his  proposal.  There  was  no  mention  of  love,  only  of 
great  admiration  and  the  benefits  to  be  derived  from 
such  a  matrimonial  alliance,  and  so  adroitly  was 
the  proposal  worded,  that  for  a  time  she  was  led  to 
believe  that  he  was  actually  speaking  with  the  consent 
and  approval  of  the  duke.  He  referred  to  his  work  as 
prime  minister  and  to  his  desire  to  make  Guelph  a 


LADY  JUDITH'S  FIRST  LESSON        159 

great  nation.  Realizing  her  interest  in  the  people — 
with  whom  she  was  so  great  a  favorite  as  to  be  almost 
a  popular  idol — and  her  great  desire  for  their  better- 
ment, he  pointed  out  the  benefit  they  would  derive  if 
he  were  joined  with  her  in  the  work  for  their  good. 

His  words  were  fair,  but  they  lacked  the  true  ring, 
and  her  woman's  sensitiveness  rebelled  at  the  proposal. 

"I  love  my  country  and  its  people,"  she  finally  said, 
"but  I  do  not  feel  that  I  am  called  upon  to  make  such 
a  sacrifice  as  this." 

He  smiled  suavely  although  the  thrust  cut  him  to 
the  quick. 

"I  am  sorry  you  look  upon  it  in  that  light,"  he  said. 
*'To  become  the  wife  of  the  prime  minister  of  Guelph 
— though  a  commoner — would  not  be  considered  such 
a  sacrifice  by  most  women,  even  though  to  the  manner 
born." 

"True,  but  they  have  not  all  been  a  prime  minister's 
daughter,"  she  said  proudly. 

"That  was  five  years  ago,  you  were  little  more  than 
a  child  then." 

"I  shall  be  older  the  next  time,"  she  retorted. 

He  laughed  a  little  sarcastically.  "Considerably.  I 
trust  you  will  change  your  mind  long  ere  that." 

"Never!"  she  exclaimed  indignantly.  "But  whether 
the  daughter  of  a  prime  minister  or  not,  I  am  still 
Marchioness  of  Oxley." 

Then,  after  a  moment's  pause  and  filled  with  an 
irresistible  desire  to  make  her  words  as  biting  as 
possible,  she  added:  "But  doubt  not,  Mr.  Benton, 
that  I  shall  be  a  prime  minister's  daughter  again,  and 
that  right  speedily." 


1«0  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"The  quickest  way  to  become  so,"  he  declared,  "is 
to  become  my  wife.  Your  father  realizes  this  and 
would  be  glad  to  have  it  happen.  He  is  entitled  to  be 
even  more  than  a  prime  minister.  With  my  popularity 
— with  your  popularity  and  right  of  birth,  and  with  the 
dislike  of  the  people  to  their  present  sovereign — " 

"They  do  not  dislike  their  sovereign,"  she  interrupted 
suddenly. 

"Let  me  finish,"  he  said  sternly.  "With  their  pres- 
ent opposition  to  the  King,  whether  it  be  because  of 
their  own  dislike,  or  whether  the  unrest  be  incited  by 
others — there  is  no  reason  why  you  should  not,  with 
my  assistance,  become,  not  only  the  daughter  of  a 
prime  minister,  but,"  in  a  whisper,  "why  you  should 
not  at  once  become  queen  of  Guelph." 

He  leaned  forward  with  bated  breath  to  watch  the 
effect  of  his  words.  That  they  would  startle  her  he 
had  no  fear;  that  they  would  cause  her  to  listen  he  had 
no  doubt  and  that  they  might  arouse  her  ambition  and 
cause  her  to  accept  his  proposal  he  had  hope;  but  for 
what  did  happen  he  was  not  prepared. 

"Traitor!"  she  exclaimed,  hurling  the  words  at  him 
almost  before  he  had  finished  his  speech.  "Traitor, 
to  have  accepted  the  highest  position  in  the  realm, 
while  your  heart  was  filled  with  such  dastardly  thoughts. 
I  will  expose  your  perfidy!" 

At  her  first  word  he  had  recoiled;  and  when  she 
started  to  rise,  he  put  his  hand  upon  her  shoulder  and 
prevented  it. 

"Stop  and  listen!"  he  said  sternly.  "You  will  do 
nothing  of  the  kind!  The  very  first  whisper  of  such  a 
suggestion  would  mark,   not  my  downfall,  but  your 


LADY  JUDITH'S  FIRST  LESSON        161 

own  and  that  of  your  father!  Who,  think  you,  would 
believe  that  I  would  suggest  such  a  thing  to  you, 
without  the  duke's  knowledge  and  consent  ?" 

She  sank  back  into  her  seat  appalled  at  the  picture. 

Not  realizing  that  it  was  possible  to  say  too  much, 
he  continued: 

"It  is  doubtful  if  even  your  father  would  believe 
you;  and  if  he  dared  to  speak,  his  words  would  be 
attributed  to  political  jealousy.  I  am  too  powerful 
with  the  people  to  be  overthrown  by  a  girl's  story." 

She  made  a  desperate  effort  and  released  herself 
from  his  grasp. 

"You  coward!"  she  cried  in  a  fierce  whisper  as  she 
drew  herself  to  her  full  height.  "To  think  that  such 
as  you  call  themselves  men  in  the  image  and  likeness 
of  God.  You  are  the  manifestation  of  evil!  Out  of 
my  way!  Let  me  pass!  You  have  been  telling  me  lies! 
Lies !     My  father  knows  nothing  of  this  base  proposal !" 

He  stepped  to  one  side. 

"Go!"  he  exclaimed.  "Go  and  tell  your  father! 
If  he  believes  you  he  will  tell  you  what  a  fool  you  are 
not  to  accept  my  offer.     Go!" 

Drawing  her  skirts  about  her  she  passed  him  as 
though  he  were  some  polluted  thing,  and  sought  the 
duke;  but  the  duke  had  been  called  suddenly  over  to 
the  House  of  Lords  and  had  asked  Lady  Newcomb  to 
see  his  daughter  safely  home.  Without  delay.  Lady 
Judith  had  asked  to  be  taken  thither;  but  Lady 
Newcomb  could  not  leave  at  the  moment  and  as  a 
result  it  was  long  past  midnight  when  Lady  Judith 
reached  Oxley  House.  Late  as  it  was  her  father  had 
not  yet  returned,  but  had  sent  a  message  for  her  not  to 


162  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

wait  up  for  him.  This  in  itself  was  unusual,  and  with 
the  other  happenings  of  the  night,  so  greatly  disturbed 
the  thoughts  of  the  young  marchioness  that  she  found 
herself  wondering  if  after  all  Benton's  words  might 
not  be  true  and  if  perchance  her  father  did  not  have 
ambitions  which  he  had  never  confided  to  her. 

Two  years  later  Lady  Judith  would  have  recognized 
the  lie  for  what  it  was;  but  at  this  time  she  had  not 
learned  where  to  go  for  guidance,  and  as  a  result 
passed  a  miserable  night.  Looking  back  upon  the 
duke's  words  and  actions  for  the  past  few  months,  she 
seemed  to  find  in  them  confirmation  of  Benton's 
statements.  By  the  time  that  her  father  did  come 
home  she  was  in  such  a  state  that  she  did  not  dare  to 
talk  with  him  and  kept  herself  locked  in  her  own  room, 
where,  as  the  sun  was  rising,  she  fell  into  a  troubled 
sleep  with  the  sense  of  being  without  a  friend. 

She  was  awakened  the  following  morning  by  a  call 
from  Constance  Taylor,  who  had  come  up  from  Somer- 
ton  with  the  Judge  on  a  lecture  tour.  For  a  moment 
she  forgot  her  worriment  and  sent  word  by  the  maid 
that  she  would  be  down  at  once.  But  while  dressing, 
the  thoughts  of  the  previous  night  forced  themselves 
upon  her.  It  was  as  though  a  black  cloud  had  sud- 
denly obscured  the  sun,  and  the  joy  which  she  had 
experienced  but  a  moment  before  gave  way  to  a  name- 
less sense  of  inharmony  that  almost  overpowered  her. 
When  she  met  Constance  in  the  drawing  room  ten 
minutes  later,  that  clear-sighted  young  matron,  in  the 
first  hasty  glance,  detected  the  inharmony  and  gather- 
ing the  girl  in  her  arms  asked : 


LADY  JUDITH'S  FIRST  LESSON        163 

"What  is  it,  dearie?  What  do  you  think  has  gone 
wrong  ?" 

"What  do  I  think  has  gone  wrong?"  she  sobbed 
burying  her  face  on  the  other's  shoulder.  "Every- 
thing!    And  I  don't  only  think  it,  I  know  it." 

"Then  let  me  give  you  a  better  knowledge.  In  the 
realm  of  the  real  nothing  can  go  wrong,  you  know; 
because  God  makes  and  governs  all  and  He  makes 
only  good.  In  God's  kingdom,  which  is  everywhere, 
everything  goes  right." 

"When  I  tell  you  what  has  happened  you  will  not 
say  so." 

"Oh  yes,  I  shall,"  calmly.  "If  evil  seems  to  have 
happened  I  shall  know  that  it  only  seems,  because 
evil  is  false.  God  and  his  government  alone  is  true. 
Come,  now,  put  all  this  out  of  your  mind  and  dry  your 
tears." 

The  girl  gradually  ceased  her  sobs  and  as  she  raised 
her  eyes  to  those  of  her  friend  exclaimed: 

"I  wish  I  could  believe  as  you  do,  Constance.  It 
must  be  such  a  comfort" 

"It  is,  dearie.  And  you  can  believe  it,  because  it 
is  true.  I  have  proved  it  so  many,  many  times.  Now 
let's  hear  what  the  error  is,  so  we  can  destroy  it." 

In  disconnected  sentences  Lady  Judith  poured  her 
startling  story  into  Mrs.  Taylor's  sympathetic  ears. 
She  told  in  detail  of  Benton's  proposal,  his  insinuations 
and  her  fears.  At  first  her  remarkable  tale  of  suggested 
treason,  even  caused  a  momentary  sense  of  inharmony 
in  the  trained  thought  of  her  hearer,  because  of  its 
perfidious  and  invidious  subtlety;  but  as  she  listened. 


164  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

there  came  to  her  a  clearer  sense  of  its  falsity  and  she 
detected  the  lie  and  the  thought  back  of  it. 

"Lady  Judith,"  she  said  quietly  but  firmly  when 
the  girl  had  finished,  "you  must  tell  all  this  to  your 
father  at  once.  You  ought  to  know — you  do  know 
him  too  well  to  permit  such  thoughts  to  enter  your 
mind.  You  have  been  doing  your  father  a  grave 
injustice.  I  know  it!  No  man  with  such  thoughts 
could  do  the  things  he  has  done  for  the  good  of  the 
nation.     You  are  surely  bearing  false  witness." 

Lady  Judith  flung  herself  into  her  friend's  arms. 

"Your  words  are  true!"  she  exclaimed.  "I  feel  that 
they  are.  O  what  a  load  of  grief  you  have  lifted  from 
ray  heart!" 

"No,  dearie,  not  I,  but  Truth  has  lifted  the  load.  I 
am  but  the  channel.     It  is  always  thus." 

Lady  Judith  looked  at  her  questioningly.  "I  do 
not  understand,"  she  said. 

"Why,  dearie,  can  you  not  see  that  what  has  destroyed 
your  sense  of  evil  conditions — what  has  destroyed  the 
lie — is  not  my  words,  but  the  truth  they  conveyed. 
In  the  same  way,  it  was  not  George  Benton's  words 
that  caused  you  grief,  but  your  belief  in  the  lie  which 
they  contained.  And  just  as  I  have  been  a  channel 
for  truth,  so  he  has  been  a  channel  for  error. 

"And  now,  Lady  Judith,"  she  continued  earnestly, 
"the  only  way  that  we  can  fully  destroy  all  sense  of 
evil  in  our  own  thought — all  sense  of  anger  against  Mr. 
Benton — and  be  able  to  obey  the  command  of  the 
Master  to  love  our  enemies,  is  to  know  that  it  is  not 
really  the  man  in  God's  image  and  likeness  who  has 
done  this  thing,  but  falsity;  and  that  man  cannot  be 


LADY  JUDITH'S  FIRST  LESSON        165 

made  a  channel  for  error.  In  this  way  we  shall  Idse  all 
sense  of  resentment  against  Mr.  Benton  and  be  able 
to  see  the  impersonal  evil  which  Love  can  and  will 
destroy." 

"I  think  I  catch  a  faint  glimpse  of  your  meaning," 
said  the  girl.  "I  will  do  as  you  say — go  to  my  father. 
Will  you  come?" 

"No.  It  is  better  for  you  and  your  father  to  meet 
this  trial  without  the  assistance  of  a  third  party.  But 
afterwards — after  you  have  told  your  father — if  either 
or  both  of  you  want  any  help  that  we  can  give  you,  do 
not  hesitate  to  call  on  us." 

When  Lady  Judith  told  her  story  to  her  father, 
the  duke's  anger  was  fearful;  but  even  the  little  glimpse 
that  his  daughter  had  gained  of  the  truth,  enabled  her 
to  control  herself  and  to  help  calm  him.  As  best  she 
could,  she  repeated  Mrs.  Taylor's  words,  and  her 
attitude  so  surprised  the  duke  that  for  a  moment  he 
sufficiently  forgot  his  anger  as  to  ask: 

"Where  did  you  ever  get  such  an  idea  as  that  of 
loving  your  enemy?" 

"From  Constance  Taylor,  father.  They  certainly  have 
a  different  religion  at  Somerton.  They  have  some- 
thing that  others  do  not  seem  to  have,  just  as  I  told 
you  when  a  child." 

"Without  doubt  they  are  earnest  Christians," 
replied  the  duke,  "and  I  shall  try  to  use  a  little  of 
their  method  in  this  case  if  I  can.  However,  the  king 
must  be  told;  not  that  I  wish  to  injure  Mr.  Benton, 
but  because  a  man  with  no  principle — whether  Mr. 
Benton  or  the  greatest  peer  in  the  realm — is  not  fit  to 
be  prime  minister." 


166  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

And  tell  the  king  he  did.  The  scene  that  followed 
cannot  be  described,  because  neither  the  king  nor  the 
duke  would  ever  consent  to  discuss  it.  Suffice  it  to 
say  that  the  king's  anger  was  even  greater  than  the 
duke's.  Had  such  a  report  been  borne  to  a  king 
a  hundred  and  fifty  years  previous,  the  head  of  the 
prime  minister  would  have  paid  the  penalty. 

But  in  the  kingdom  of  Guelph  they  do  things  differ- 
ently. To  a  few  of  the  king's  most  trusted  councilors 
the  situation  was  explained  and  parliament  was  pro- 
rogued. Upon  the  issue  of  a  changed  foreign  policy,  an 
election  was  ordered;  and  by  a  brief  hint  at  the  truth 
in  the  radical  strongholds,  the  conservatives  won  a 
substantial  victory  and  the  Duke  of  Lackland  was 
again  summoned  to  form  a  ministry. 

During  this  time,  however,  it  must  not  be  thought 
that  Benton  had  been  idle.  Realizing  the  cause  of 
the  sudden  action,  he  had,  by  an  appeal  to  the  people, 
done  his  best  to  stem  the  tide  which  had  set  in  against 
him;  but  the  knowledge  that  his  treachery  was  known 
had  caused  a  fear  that  made  him  timid,  and  long  before 
election  he  felt  the  approach  of  certain  defeat.  Secretly 
he  became  a  most  bitter  enemy,  not  only  of  the  duke 
and  Lady  Judith,  but  of  the  king  and  his  councilors  as 
well.  In  public,  however,  he  professed  to  take  the 
whole  matter  as  simply  another  turn  of  the  political 
wheel  and  declared,  after  the  election,  that  he  had  not 
been  given  his  discharge,  only  a  furlough.  He  still 
retained  his  seat  in  parliament  and  the  following  month 
started  in  his  private  yacht,  the  Falcon,  on  a  tour 
around  the  world. 

In   many  places — the  inside  history  of  his   recent 


LADY  JUDITH'S  FIRST  LESSON        167 

defeat  being  known  to  only  a  small  group  in  Guelph — 
he  was  received  with  distinguished  honors  and  enter- 
tained at  numerous  public  meetings,  banquets  and 
social  functions.  Rankling  with  a  desire  to  cause 
trouble  for  the  new  ministry,  he  so  worded  his  speeches 
on  such  occasions  as  to  give  the  impression  abroad 
that  Guelph  not  only  considered  herself  a  world-power, 
but  had  hopes  at  no  distant  day  of  ruling  the  sea  and 
extending  her  dominion. 

At  present  Benton  was  in  the  United  States  of 
America;  but  evidence  was  not  wanting  that  he  had 
in  Guelph  plenty  of  lieutenants,  who  not  only  kept 
him  minutely  informed  of  the  course  of  events,  but 
were  willing  and  ready  to  accept  his  money  and  to 
carry  out  his  plans  to  injure  all  those  to  whom  he 
attributed  his  downfall. 

First  and  foremost  among  these  was  the  duke  and 
his  daughter,  and  the  ways  in  which  Benton  found 
means  to  vent  his  spleen  and  annoy  them  were  numerous 
and  unexpected.  He  caused  stories  to  be  circulated  det- 
rimental to  the  duke's  financial  condition  at  a  time 
when  he  was  trying  to  assist  in  a  large  manufacturing 
industry.  He  caused  to  be  published  in  a  newspaper 
in  which  he  was  interested,  a  story  reflecting  upon  some 
of  the  duke's  ancestors.  It  was  clearly  proven  that 
Benton  was  responsible  for  an  attempt  upon  the  duke's 
life  by  supposed  housebreakers,  while  to  crown  his  in- 
famy, he  had  caused  to  be  circulated  stories  reflecting 
upon  the  honor  of  the  duke  in  relation  to  other  members 
of  the  ministry. 

At  first  neither  the  duke  nor  his  daughter  were  able 
to  determine  the  source  of  these  attacks,  but  as  investi- 


168  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

gallons  were  started,  they  all  pointed  clearly  to  Benton. 
Being  at  a  loss  as  to  the  best  course  to  pursue  and 
remembering  the  help  that  Sir  AUiu  had  been  to  him 
in  his  early  days  as  a  politician  and  diplomat,  the 
duke  again  turned  to  this  friend  for  advice. 

That  he  might  not  seem  to  be  giving  too  much 
importance  to  the  matter,  the  duke  brought  it  up  in 
an  incidental  way  at  a  very  informal  dinner  to  which 
he  had  invited  Sir  AUin  and  Admiral  Sir  William  More- 
land — for  although  considerably  younger  than  either 
the  duke  or  Sir  Allin,  the  admiral  was  a  staunch  friend 
of  both.  It  is  quite  probable,  too,  that  the  duke 
was  anxious  to  get  the  admiral's  views,  for  he  was 
exactly  the  opposite  of  Sir  Allin  in  thought  and  method. 

"While  Sir  Allin's  motto  was:  "Do  right  for  righteous- 
ness' sake,"  the  admiral's  might  well  have  been:  "My 
country!     Right  or  wrong  my  country!" 

Very  adroitly,  as  he  thought,  the  duke  had  led  the 
conversation  up  to  the  doings  and  sayings  of  Benton 
abroad.  Then  he  had  related  simply  as  a  bit  of  table 
gossip  the  annoying  happenings  already  referred  to. 
In  spite  of  his  seeming  indifference  to  the  matter,  it 
was  at  once  plain  to  his  guests  that  he  was  deeply  in 
earnest,  and  they  expressed  the  keenest  interest. 

"And  what  steps  have  you  taken,"  inquired  the 
admiral,  "to  put  a  stop  to  further  attacks?" 

"Practically  none,"  replied  the  duke,  "unless  it  has 
been  to  try  and  guard  more  closely  those  avenues 
through  which  he  has  already  reached  us.  Inasmuch 
as  all  his  attacks  have  been  based  on  falsehoods,  it  is 
impossible  to  tell  where  he  may  strike  next.  I  had 
hoped  that  Sir  Allin  might  suggest  some  method  to 


LADY  JUDITH'S  FIRST  LESSON        169 

guard  us  against  our  enemy — for  this  is  what  he  seems 
determined  to  be." 

Sir  Alliu  paused  with  a  nut  in  one  hand  and  a  nut- 
cracker in  the  other.  Speaking  slowly  to  give  empha- 
sis to  his  words  he  said: 

"There  is  but  one  way  to  rid  one's  self  of  one's  enemy. 
That  is  to  destroy  the  enemy." 

"Quite  right!"  exclaimed  Sir  William.  "Benton 
must  be  destroyed." 

"Easily  said!"  was  the  duke's  comment,  "but  we 
have  discovered  that  under  existing  circumstances,  Mr. 
Benton  is  not  so  easily  disposed  of." 

"I  do  not  think,"  replied  Sir  Allin  as  he  proceeded 
to  crack  the  nut,  "that  I  mentioned  Mr.  Benton's 
name.  I  said  that  there  was  but  one  way  to  rid  one's 
self  of  one's  enemy — " 

"Well,"  said  the  admiral,  "isn't  Benton  the  enemy.''" 

"Scientifically  speaking,  he  is  not,"  was  Sir  Allin's 
reply.  "The  real  enemy  is  the  impersonal  evil,  the 
falsehood — to  which  the  duke  has  just  referred;  that 
error  which  is  using  Mr.  Benton  as  a  channel.  This 
is  the  enemy  to  be  destroyed." 

Lady  Judith,  who  had  up  to  this  time  been  but  an 
interested  listener,  gave  her  father  a  knowing  look  as 
she  exclaimed:  "How  much  better  Sir  Allin  explains 
it  than  I  did!" 

"Nonsense!"  exclaimed  the  admiral  emphatically. 
"Sir  Allin  is  always  suggesting  absurdities." 

Sir  Allin  continued  to  extract  the  kernel  from  the 
shell  as  he  laughingly  replied :  "Absurd  to  you  because 
you  have  never  been  willing  to  look  farther  than  your 
eyes  can  see.     But  it  is  most  rational  to  me." 


170  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

The  duke  looked  puzzled,  "You  will  not  deny  my 
willingness  to  search,  Sir  Allin;  but  even  I  am  unable 
to  see  how  your  view  of  the  matter  can  help  the  situa- 
tion." 

"If  we  can  detect  a  lie,  it  is  certainly  easier  to  get 
at  the  truth,  is  it  not  ?"  asked  Sir  Allin. 

"Undoubtedly." 

"Very  well,  then !  And  now  that  we  know  the  enemy 
— the  error — for  what  it  is,  we  are  able  to  destroy  it." 

"How?" 

"First  by  destroying  it  in  our  own  consciousness 
and—" 

"Another  absurd  proposition,"  declared  Sir  William. 
"  'It  is  a  condition  and  not  a  theory  which  confronts 
us,'  as  an  American  president  once  said — an  annoying 
reality,  whether  impersonal  or  otherwise." 

"If  this  were  the  first  time  I  had  tried  to  enlighten 
you,"  laughed  Sir  Allin,  "I  should  have  some  hopes 
for  you;  as  it  is,  I  almost  begin  to  despair.  But  you 
are  both  good  churchmen  and  I  will  simply  ask  you 
if  you  really  believe  that  man  is  made  in  the  image 
and  likeness  of  God .?" 

"I  certainly  have  never  doubted  it,"  declared  the 
duke. 

"Nor  I  either!"  exclaimed  the  admiral  warmly,  "and 
sometimes  as  I  have  seen  the  perfect  forms  of  my 
men  stripped  for  action,  I  have  stopped  to  admire 
God's  handiwork." 

This  time  Sir  Allin  could  not  refrain  from  smiling 
broadly  as  he  remarked  in  a  quizzical  manner:  "And 
looking  at  these  men,  I  suppose  you  have  had  a  very 
clear  sense  of  what  God  looks  like?" 


LADY  JUDITH'S  FIRST  LESSON        171 

"Naturally,"  replied  the  admiral. 

"If  you  will  pardon  my  digression,"  laughed  Sir 
Allin,  "I  will  say  that  you  remind  me  of  a  story  I  once 
heard:  A  lady  found  her  little  boy  busy  drawing  a 
picture.  *Of  what  are  you  drawing  a  picture?'  she 
asked.  'Of  God,'  replied  the  child.  'But  no  one  has 
ever  seen  God,'  the  mother  declared.  'No  one  knows 
what  God  looks  like.'  'Well,'  replied  the  child,  'they 
will  when  they  see  this  picture.'  And  I  am  afraid, 
Sir  William,  that  your  idea  of  God  is  somewhat  like 
that  of  the  child. 

"But  can  you  not  for  the  moment  put  aside  this 
physical  concept  of  God  and  think  of  Him  as  something 
higher — as  Life,  Truth  and  Love — and  of  man  as  the 
likeness  of  this  higher  ideal  ?" 

The  admiral's  face  flushed  while  the  duke  replied 
quickly:  "I  am  sure  that  I  can." 

"Then,"  declared  Sir  Allin,  "let  us  all  be  manly 
enough — enough  like  God,  infinite  good — to  be  as 
Habakkuk  tells  us,  'of  too  pure  eyes  to  behold  iniquity,' 
whether  it  appear  through  Mr.  Benton  or  any  other 
channel." 

Sir  William  started  to  speak  but  Sir  Allin  continued: 
"Now  how  are  we  to  make  this  thought  practical — 
how  destroy  Mr.  Benton's  power?  I  will  tell  you. 
By  realizing  that  the  only  power  Mr.  Benton  has  to 
annoy  any  of  us,  is  just  what  we  give  him." 

"It  is  not  for  myself  that  I  am  troubled,"  said  the 
duke,  "but  for  my  daughter." 

"Why,  father,"  exclaimed  Lady  Judith,  "it  is  not 
on  my  account  at  all  that  I  worry,  but  on  yours!" 

Sir  Allin  laughed  as  he  picked  up  another  nut.     "It 


172  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

seems,"  he  declared,  "that  we  are  very  rapidly  destroy- 
ing Mr.  Benton's  ability  to  annoy  at  all — and  it  is  only 
annoyance  at  best — for  we  know  that  he  can  have  no 
power  to  harm." 

"I  should  be  glad  to  stop  him  just  the  same," 
declared  the  duke. 

"You  will,"  replied  Sir  AUin,  as  he  laid  down  his 
nut-cracker  and  leaned  back  in  his  chair,  "just  in  the 
proportion  that  you  put  away  all  sense  of  annoyance, 
resentment  or  anger,  and  lose  your  desire  for  retalia- 
tion." 


CHAPTER  III 

IN   THE   WILDERNESS 

"And  what  constitutes  the  sum  of  human  happiness, 
Tom?" 

The  questioner  was  Lady  Judith,  as  they  two  sat 
on  a  rustic  bench  at  Somerton-by-the-Sea,  the  afternoon 
after  Tom's  unexpected  arrival,  looking  across  the  blue 
waters  of  the  Indian  ocean. 

The  young  man  looked  at  her  in  a  perplexed  fashion. 

"What  constitutes  the  sum  of  human  happiness?" 
he  repeated.  "I  do  not  know  as  I  exactly  understand. 
To  me  the  possession  of  your  love  would  be  the  sum 
of  all  happiness;  but  what  might  constitute  happiness 
for  another,  I  know  and  care  not." 

There  was  just  a  tinge  of  sadness  in  the  young 
woman's  voice  as  she  said  slowly: 

"That  is  rather  a  selfish  thought,  isn't  it?" 

"Perhaps.  But  it  is  the  way  I  feel.  Most  men,  I 
fancy  feel  pretty  much  the  same;  at  least  that  is  the 
way  they  treat  one  another." 

"How  can  you  expect  anyone  to  treat  you  differently, 
Tom,  if  that  is  the  way  you  look  at  life?" 

"I  don't." 

The  girl  smiled  a  bit  quizzically  as  she  asked:  "How 
about  me  ?" 

"Oh,  that  is  a  different  proposition  altogether.  And 
173 


174  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

of  course  I  care  for  your  happiness,  too,"  he  added 
hastily.  "But  why  are  you  always  asking  these  vague 
questions?  I  am  never  quite  able  to  understand 
you." 

"I  do  not  think  I  quite  understand  myself,"  she 
said,  "but  I  have  within  me  a  longing  for  something  I 
do  not  seem  able  to  attain." 

"I  reckon  we  all  do,"  was  Tom's  reply. 

"No,  we  all  do  not.  I  am  sure  your  father — your 
sisters,  Constance  and  Sibyl — are  satisfied  with  life  as 
they  see  it.  They  have  something  I  seem  unable  to 
acquire." 

"I  know  what  you  mean.  Lady  Judith;  but  if  you 
could  see  away  down  into  them,  you  would  find  that 
they,  too,  have  a  longing.  I  used  to  have  it,  but  when 
I  could  not  get  the  thing  I  wanted,  I  quit  worrying  about 
it.     They  are  no  more  satisfied  than  you." 

"You  are  wrong,  Tom.  They  may  not  be  satisfied, 
because  they  may  want  more  of  what  they  now  have 
just  a  little;  but  it  is  only  with  the  quantity  and  not 
the  quality,  that  they  are  dissatisfied,  while  I  have 
not  been  able  to  reach  anything  like  such  a  condition 
of  thought.  That  is  why  I  ask,  what  is  the  sum  of 
human  happiness." 

The  young  man  studied  for  some  minutes. 

"What  do  you  think  it  is.?"  he  finally  asked,  slowly 
accentuating  every  word. 

"I  do  not  know.  Alexander  the  Great  wept  because 
there  were  not  more  worlds  to  conquer,  and  he  was 
a  fair  t^'pe.  Other  men  in  his  position  would  have 
done  the  same.  Why  was  he,  and  after  him  all  man- 
kind, so  dissatisfied?" 


IN  THE  WILDERNESS  175 

"You'll  have  to  ask  someone  besides  me.  But,  to 
change  the  subject:  It  was  not  of  happiness  that  I 
asked  you  to  come  out  here  and  talk  with  me.  I  am 
in  a  deuce  of  a  mess  and  I  have  come  to  you  for  advice." 

"Why  not  go  to  Sir  Allin?" 

"Because  I  do  not  want  to  worry  him,  and  you  are 
so  near  your  father  that  you  surely  can  advise — for 
this  is  a  state  affair." 

"A  state  affair?"  quoth  Lady  Judith  with  a  start, 
her  thoughts  turning  at  once  to  George  Benton.  "I 
hope  there  is  nothing  wrong  in  the  foreign  oflSce." 

"No!  It  is  in  the  admiralty  office.  Ever  since  your 
father  appointed  me  under-secretary  for  naval  affairs 
I  have  conducted  all  the  correspondence  with  Vaalmara, 
Madagascar,  Eiland,  Nippon  and  Luzonia  concerning 
the  coming  of  the  fleets  that  are  to  visit  us  the  fifteenth. 
Of  course  the  globe-encircling  voyage  is  supposed  to 
be  for  the  purpose  of  showing  the  western  nations 
what  progress  these  new  powers  have  made;  but  at 
the  same  time,  we  all  understand  that  it  is  intended 
likewise  as  an  object  lesson  to  Guelph  that  she  cannot 
rule  the  Orient." 

"I  understand,"  said  Lady  Judith,  as  the  young 
man  paused.     "Go  on!" 

"Well,  so  many  unusual  questions  regarding  the 
anchorage  were  asked,  that  I  felt  obliged  to  write  for 
instructions  from  the  foreign  oflSce  in  order  that  I 
might  avoid  any  breach  of  international  etiquette. 

"The  reply  to  my  note  of  inquiry,  signed  by  Lord 
Aukland  himself,  was  very  plain.  If  understood  as 
an  answer  to  a  simple  question,  it  could  give  no  offence; 
but  taken  alone,  the  letter  could  be  made  to  show  that 


176  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

we  held  one  nation  in  greater  esteem  than  the  others. 
You  understand  ?" 

"Perfectly." 

"Well,"  again  began  Tom  and  then  he  paused; 
"well—" 

"Well,"  also  said  Lady  Judith  impatiently,  "go  on." 

"Well  then,"  said  Tom,  "Lord  Aukland's  letter 
has  been  stolen." 

Lady  Judith  looked  at  him  in  blank  surprise. 

"Stolen?"  she  at  length  exclaimed  increduously. 

"Yes,  stolen." 

"How  could  it  be  stolen.^  I  thought  all  correspon- 
dence between  the  departments  was  carefully  guarded." 

"So  it  is,  but  this  letter  seems  not  to  have  been; 
although  as  far  as  I  can  remember  I  placed  it  in  the 
file  where  I  keep  all  letters  from  the  foreign  office." 

"What  could  anyone  want  with  the  letter.''" 

"The  only  thing  that  I  can  imagine,"  replied  Tom, 
"would  be  to  stir  up  a  rumpus  in  diplomatic  circles. 
These  diplomats  are  a  fussy  lot." 

"But  the  real  purport  of  the  letter  could  be  easily 
explained .''" 

"Easily." 

"Then  I  do  not  see  that  the  letter  has  any  real 
value." 

"It  has  not  in  itself.  But  something  has  happened 
which  suggests  a  complication.  Day  before  yesterday 
General  Dudley,  in  charge  of  the  harbor  defenses, 
sent  over  from  the  war  department  saying  that  he 
understood  that  I  had  the  information  he  desired. 
When  I  went  to  look  for  the  letter  it  was  gone.  Think- 
ing I  had  simply  mislaid  it,  and  to  save  time,  I  sent 


IN  THE  WILDERNESS  177 

over  lo  Secretary  Blucher,  who  forwarded  the  letter, 
asking  for  a  copy.  Judge  of  my  surprise  when  he 
sent  back  word  that  he  had  made  no  copy  and  that  if 
I  had  been  so  negligent  as  to  lose  it,  I  would  have  to 
depend  upon  my  memory.  Fortunately  I  remembered 
the  instructions  pretty  accurately  as  they  fixed  them- 
selves in  my  mind  and  I  wrote  them  out  for  the  general. 
Inside  of  an  hour  I  received  word  from  him  that  such 
an  arrangement  was  impossible.  I  replied  that  such 
were  my  instructions.  He  then  sent  over  to  the  foreign 
office  and  was  told  that  no  such  arrangements  had 
even  been  suggested. 

"Shortly  afterward  I  received  a  personal  letter  from 
Lord  Aukland  answering  the  questions  I  had  asked 
in  my  original  letter  and  curtly  demanding  what  1 
meant  by  giving  General  Dudley  such  information  as 
I  had  without  awaiting  his  reply." 

"Without  awaiting  his  reply?"  queried  Lady  Judith. 
"Why,  I  thought  you  said  he  sent  you  the  letter  that 
was  stolen." 

"So  I  supposed;  but  this  second  letter,  coming  by 
his  personal  messenger,  would  indicate  one  of  two 
things — "  Tom  paused. 

"I  must  be  very  dull,"  said  Lady  Judith  noting  the 
hesitancy.     "What  are  the  two  things  ?" 

"Either  that  Lord  Aukland  is  losing  his  memory,  or 
that  the  first  letter  was  a  forgery." 

Lady  Judith  started  from  her  seat.  "Impossible!" 
she  exclaimed.     "Who  could  have  done  it?" 

"I  cannot  imagine,  unless  it  was  Blucher." 

"And  why  should  he  do  such  a  thing?" 

"I  am  at  a  loss  for  a  motive." 


178  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

There  was  a  long  period  of  silence  and  then  Lady 
Judith  asked: 

"What  answer  did  you  make  to  Lord  Aukland's 
inquiry." 

"  I  have  not  replied.  I  was  so  puzzled  over  the  whole 
affair  I  decided  to  run  down  here  and  have  a  talk  with 
you,  and  then,  if  necessary  take  the  matter  up  with 
your  father." 

"It  certainly  is  strange,"  mused  Lady  Judith. 
"And  you  have  no  idea  as  to  what  is  back  of  it ?" 

"Only  as  I  say,  a  desire  to  stir  up  a  rumpus  among 
the  diplomats.  So  far  as  I  can  see  it  is  absolutely  a 
matter  of  indifference  what  part  of  the  harbor  any 
squadron  may  occupy.  But  if  someone  should  show 
the  ambassador  from  Vaalmara,  for  instance,  the  first 
letter  ordering  one  arrangement,  and  later,  when  the 
fleets  arrived,  he  could  see  a  different  arrangement, 
he  would  begin  to  ask  questions.  We  should  never 
be  able  to  finish  explaining.  It  would  therefore  be 
charged  that  I  had  blundered  thus  making  me  the 
scapegoat — " 

"And  the  result  would  be,"  interrupted  Lady  Judith, 
"that  you  would  lose  your  official  head." 

"Just  when  I  could  not  afford  to  lose  it,"  replied 
Tom.  "It  would  put  an  end  to  my  diplomatic 
career." 

"Have  you  no  idea  who  could  have  done  it?" 

"Not  unless  it  was  Blucher.  But  I  have  always 
been  friendly  with  him.  In  fact  I  have  been  friendly 
with  all  the  secretaries.  I  do  not  really  know  that  I 
have  an  enemy.  I  certainly  have  given  no  one  any 
cause  to  dislike  me." 


IN  THE  WILDERNESS  179 

"Do  you  think  so?"  laughed  Lady  Judith  archly  as 
her  face  became  pink.  "Have  you  forgotten,  sir,  that 
there  are  others  who  aspire  to  the  favor  of  the  Mar- 
cliioness  of  Oxley  ?" 

Tom's  face  flushed  with  anger.  "You  do  not  mean 
Benton  ?" 

"He  is  none  too  good;  but  unfortunately,"  and  Lady 
Judith's  color  became  deeper,  "there  are  others.  But 
it  certainly  does  look  like  a  plot,  and  we  must  take 
steps  to  make  it  of  no  avail." 

"I  knew  you  would  see  a  way  out  of  the  trouble!" 
exclaimed  Tom. 

"Do  not  be  too  sanguine.  But  if  nothing  is  done 
until  the  arrival  of  the  fleets  we  have  plenty  of  time." 

"I  do  not  see  how  there  can  be,"  said  Tom  rising, 
"but  I  shall  have  to  answer  Lord  Aukland.  I  hardly 
know — Hello!"  he  exclaimed  suddenly  as  he  turned 
around,  "what's  the  rumpus  up  at  the  house.?" 

Lady  Judith  looked  toward  the  place  indicated  by 
Tom.  "There  does  seem  to  be  something  unusual 
going  on.  Looks  like  there  might  be  a  circus."  Then 
shading  her  eyes  with  her  hand,  "I  can  see  that  it  is 
Bobby  and  Harold,  but  who  or  what  is  that  with  them  ?" 

Tom  burst  into  a  laugh.  "Why,  it  is  Jackey,"  he 
exclaimed. 

"And  pray  who  is  Jackey?"  asked  Lady  Judith. 

"He  is  an  aborigine — one  of  the  few  left.  I  picked 
him  up  on  a  hunting  trip  into  Never-Never  Land  last 
May.  In  spite  of  his  years  of  service  among  civilized 
people,  what  he  does  not  know  about  the  bush  and 
nature  is  not  worth  knowing.  But  he  makes  a  great 
man-of- all- work . " 


180  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"To  judge  from  his  antics,"  said  Lady  Judith,  "he 
must  be  giving  imitations  of  a  kangaroo." 

And  that  is  just  what  Jackey  was  doing.  With  Bobby 
and  Harold  as  spectators,  the  bushman  was  giving 
some  wonderful  exhibitions  of  leaping  with  Don  in  a 
perfect  tremor  of  excitement  chasing  him  and  barking 
at  every  step. 

The  boys  no  sooner  discovered  Lady  Judith  and 
Tom  than  they  set  up  a  series  of  loud  shrieks,  intended 
as  imitations  of  the  hunters  of  the  bush,  and  shouted 
with  delight  as  Jackey  redoubled  his  antics. 

But  their  glee  came  to  a  sudden  stop  when  Jackey 
discovered  his  master  approaching.  With  one  last, 
sudden  leap  he  sprang  to  his  feet  and  before  either 
the  boys  or  the  dog  could  bring  themselves  to  realize 
the  change,  the  black  had  transformed  himself  from  a 
wild  bushman  into  a  disciplined  servant,  and  stood  at 
a  respectful  "attention"  when  Tom  approached. 

"What  on  earth  brought  you  here,  Jackey?"  was 
Tom's  salutation  as  soon  as  he  had  approached  within 
speaking  distance. 

Jackey  grinned  and  pulled  his  forelock.  Then  he 
cast  a  questioning  glance  at  Lady  Judith  but  made  no 
reply. 

"What  is  the  matter?"  asked  Tom.  "Can't  you 
speak  ?" 

"Course  not!"  exclaimed  Bobby.  "He's  a  kanga- 
roo!" 

"You  youngsters  get  out!"  and  Tom  made  a  flick 
at  Bobby  with  a  twig  he  had  in  his  hand.  "The  trouble 
is  that  you  have  had  Jackey  jumping  about  until  he 
has  lost  his  breath  " 


IN  THE  WILDERNESS  181 

Jackey  chuckled  and  rolled  his  eyes  in  a  terrifying 
fashion  which,  instead  of  frightening  the  lads,  set 
them  laughing. 

"You  can't  scare  us!"  cried  Harold.  "We  know 
you  are  good  no  matter  how  bad  you  look." 

"Well,  clear  out,  anyway!"  said  Tom.  "I  must 
find  out  what  brought  Jackey  here." 

The  boys  scurried  away  across  the  lawn  and  Jackey, 
seeing  that  Tom  was  waiting  for  an  explanation,  ex- 
claimed : 

"Much  debbil  in  town!" 

"Much  devil  in  town?"  laughed  Tom.  "I  have  no 
doubt;  but  what  has  that  to  do  with  your  being  here?" 

"I  think  he  means  much  trouble?"  suggested  Lady 
Judith. 

The  black  made  a  grimace  intended  for  a  smile 
as  he  replied :  "All  the  same!  Debbil,  trubble;  trubble, 
debbil!     All  the  same  to  Jackey." 

Lady  Judith  and  Tom  laughed  a.^^ud  at  the  manner, 
rather  than  the  sentiment  of  the  speech  and  Tom 
remarked : 

"Rather  a  scientific  statement,  as  Father  would  say, 
seeing  that  both  are  evil." 

Lady  Judith  looked  at  Tom  reproachfully. 

"Why  will  you  talk  in  that  frivolous  way?"  she 
asked.  "With  the  example  and  instruction  you  have 
had,  you  ought  to  do  better." 

"What  would  you  have  me  do?" 

"I  would  have  you  profit  by  the  example  of  your 
sisters.  You  ought  to  be  just  as  great  a  power  for 
good  as  they." 

"Am  I  not?" 


182  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"You  know  very  well  you  are  not." 

"What  is  the  difference?" 

"What  a  question!  But  I  will  tell  you.  They  spend 
their  time  helping  others.  You  think  of  little  but  self. 
With  you  it  seems  to  be  always  I,  I,  I.  I  do  not  know 
why." 

"Father  would  say  it  is  because  I  have  too  great  a 
belief  in  material  pleasures.  Perhaps  so.  At  least  I 
am  doing  very  well." 

Then  to  the  black:  "But  tell  us,  Jackey,  what  is  all 
this  trouble  that  is  worrying  you  ?" 

"Lord  Aukland  making  much  fuss.  Mr.  Bally 
send  a  letter.  Here!"  and  from  inside  his  short  jacket, 
Jackey  produced  a  fat  yellow-coated  missive. 

"Bally,"  explained  Tom  as  he  reached  for  the  letter, 
"is  Balfour  MajTie,  my  stenographer." 

Breaking  the  seal  Tom  hastily  read  the  letter,  and 
Lady  Judith  noticed  that  on  several  occasions  his  face 
blanched  and  his  hand  trembled.  As  he  read  the 
last  line  he  mechanically  folded  the  paper  and  turning 
to  Lady  Judith  with  a  helpless  look  in  his  eyes  said 
slowly: 

"Well,  it  has  come!" 

"It!     What  do  you  mean  by  it  ?"  asked  Lady  Judith. 

"The  explosion.  Somebody  has  told  Count  von 
Lindenhohen  that  Vaalmara  has  been  slighted  and 
Lord  Aukland  has  entered  some  sort  of  a  complaint 
against  me  with  the  duke." 

"How  could  the  alleged  change  in  the  arrangements 
have  become  known  to  the  count  ?" 

"It  appears  that  General  Dudley  sent  a  copy  of  the 
order  of  review  to  each  of  the  foreign  ambassadors 


IN  THE  WILDERNESS  183 

detailing  the  complete  arrangement  so  that  they  could 
aerograph  them  to  the  commanders  of  their  respective 
squadrons.  Count  von  Lindenhohen  could  not  have 
more  than  received  his  notification  before  the  stolen 
letter  was  shown  him — " 

"By  whom?"  asked  Lady  Judith  interrupting. 

Tom's  face  flushed. 

"I  would  rather  not  tell." 

Recalling  the  allusion  she  had  made  but  a  moment 
ago,  and  thinking  the  talebearer  must  have  been  one 
of  her  numerous  admirers,  Lady  Judith  exclaimed : 

"You  need  not  be  afraid  of  my  feelings,  Tom.  If  I 
am  to  help  untangle  this  snarl  I  must  know!" 

For  a  moment  Tom  hesitated.  "If  there  were  any 
real  reason  why  you  should  not  know,"  he  finally  said, 
"I  would  not  tell  you;  but  believe  me,  there  is  not. 
Although  my  name  has  sometimes  been  connected  with 
hers,  there  has  never  been  anything  between  us.  It 
was  Lady  Beckworth." 

Lady  Judith's  face  flushed  as  she  drew  herself  to 
her  full  height  and  fastened  her  clear  blue  eyes  stead- 
fastly upon  him.  For  just  a  moment  she  doubted 
him — doubted  his  story  and  its  details.  But  Tom 
met  her  look  honestly  and  fearlessly.  Intuitively  she 
felt  that  he  was  not  deceiving  her  and  she  determined 
then  and  there  to  stand  by  him.  For  several  moments 
neither  spoke  and  then  Lady  Judith  broke  the  silence: 

"It  seems  to  be  a  deep  laid  plot  to  ruin  not  only 
your  future  and  your  good  name,  but  to  cast  a  slur  upon 
the  administration  that  appointed  you;  but  regardless 
of  what  anyone  may  say,  Tom,  I  believe  you.  You  can 
depend  upon  me." 


184  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

The  young  man's  eyes  filled  with  tears  and  his  voice 
was  husky  as  he  started  to  reply. 

"And,  O  Tom!"  exclaimed  the  girl  impulsively 
interrupting  him,  "will  you  not  try  to  see  things  differ- 
ently. Will  you  not  try  to  think  less  of  self  and  to 
live  as  you  have  been  taught.  Promise  me  that  you 
will  try." 

For  just  a  moment  he  paused;  then — under  his 
breath:  "I'll  do  it!" 

Lady  Judith's  face  brightened:  "Your  hand  on  it!" 
she  said. 


CHAPTER  IV 


OLD    FRIENDS   MEET 


In  the  gray  mist  of  the  early  morning  the  great  ocean 
liner  slowly  approached  her  pier.  Along  the  rail  were 
crowded  the  army  of  passengers,  eager  to  catch  the 
first  glimpse  of  some  familiar  face  and  anxious  to  get 
ashore,  albeit  they  had  been  but  ten  days  making  the 
run  from  San  Francisco.  Still  ten  days  seem  long  in 
an  era  when  electricity,  aeroplanes  and  pneumatic 
tubes  are  vieing  with  each  other  to  annihilate  time  and 
space. 

"It  certainly  will  be  a  relief  when  the  submarine  is 
completed,"  said  one  nervous  gentleman  to  an  equally 
nervous  looking  companion. 

"Yes,  and  if  I  have  got  to  make  my  living  selling 
goods,  I  wish  they  would  hurry  up,"  was  the  response. 
"This  being  obliged  to  spend  ten  days  every  two 
months  in  getting  from  San  Francisco  to  Elmborn, 
is  most  exasperating." 

"You  fellows  are  always  fretting  about  the  time 
you  lose,"  said  the  third  member  of  the  group,  a  jolly 
round-faced  individual  who  appeared  brimming  over 
with  good  humor.  "You  are  getting  through  the  world 
so  fast  now  that  you  are  both  old  men,  though  neither  of 
you  are  fifty.  I  am  ten  years  older  than  either  of  you, 
but  I  look  ten  years  younger.  When  will  you  ever 
stop  fretting  about  time?" 

185 


186  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

The  passengers  in  the  vicinity  smiled  at  the  jolly 
man's  outburst  and  John  Winslow,  standing  near,  re- 
marked : 

"Not,  I  imagine,  until  they  learn  that  both  time  and 
space  are  conditions  of  human  thought." 

The  good-natured  man  looked  at  the  speaker  intently 
for  a  moment  and  then  replied  with  a  friendly  smile: 
"You  look  as  though  you  might  have  learned  it." 

"Only  learning,"  said  the  other.  "It  is  not  very 
easy." 

The  first  two  speakers  looked  at  each  other  in  a 
helpless  sort  of  way,  clearly  having  no  idea  of  what  the 
others  were  talking  about,  but  they  had  no  chance  to 
ask,  as  the  liner  had  by  this  time  approached  near 
enough  to  the  pier  for  the  passengers  to  recognize  the 
faces  of  their  friends,  and  there  was  a  general  crowding 
forward  and  waving  of  hands  and  handkerchiefs. 

"Looks  mighty  different  from  what  it  did  the  last 
time  we  was  here,  Miss  Lucy!"  exclaimed  an  ebony- 
hued  servant  to  Mrs.  Winslow  who  was  standing  a 
little  apart  from  the  crowding  passengers  viewing  the 
scene  from  without,  as  it  were,  and  with  apparently 
no  anxiety  whatever  to  get  ashore. 

"Then  you  remember  how  it  looked,  do  you, 
Roscoe.'^"  the  lady  questioned  in  response. 

"  'Course  I  do,  Miss  Lucy.  Why,  I  was  twenty 
years  old." 

"You  seemed  so  frivolous." 

"  'Deed,  Miss  Lucy,  I  was  thinking  a  whole  lot." 

"You  should  have  been.  As  I  remember,  it  was  the 
first  time  you  had  ever  left  the  District  of  Columbia." 

"That's  right.  Miss  Lucy.     But  why  should  I  want 


OLD  FRIENDS  MEET  187 

to  leave  the  District  ?  That's  the  place  a  black  man's 
just  as  good  as  a  white  one." 

"In  spite  of  your  training,  Roscoe,"  remarked  the 
husband,  "I  am  beginning  to  think  you  will  never  be 
able  to  eliminate  the  color  line  from  your  thought." 

The  servant  looked  at  the  speaker  quizzically  as  he 
replied : 

"How  am  I  going  to  'liminate  the  color  line  from 
my  thought,  Mr.  John,  when  I  can't  'liminate  the  color 
line  from  my  skin?" 

John  and  Lucy  looked  at  each  other  and  smiled, 
while  Lucy  replied:  "Man  in  the  image  and  likeness  of 
God,  Roscoe,  is  neither  white  nor  black,  except  as 
purity  makes  him  wiiite.     Color  is  a  mortal  concept." 

Roscoe  shook  his  head.  "Mortals  is  all  I  know, 
Miss  Lucy,  and  the  black  ones  is  increasing  fast." 
Then  suddenly  changing  the  subject:  "Hadn't  I  better 
be  getting  out  the  baggage?" 

"Any  time,"  replied  John.  "Our  friends  may  be  in 
haste  and  we  had  better  not  keep  them  waiting." 

Roscoe  hastened  away  and  as  he  disappeared  down 
the  companion-way  Lucy  remarked: 

"There  certainly  have  been  changes  since  our  pre- 
vious visit.  Is  it  far  to  Somerton,  John  ?  You  know 
Allin  was  living  in  town  when  I  was  here." 

"Not  as  we  measure  distance  today;  but  it  would 
have  seemed  far  once."  Then  after  a  moment,  "there 
is  a  lesson  even  in  that,  is  there  not  ?  Time  was  when 
they  measured  distance  by  miles  of  space.  Now  it  is 
measured  by  the  hours  it  takes  one  to  annihilate  that 
space." 

"And  still,"  said  Lucy,  "it  was  really  always  meas- 


188  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

ured  the  same  way.  People  only  seemed  to  measure 
by  miles.  That  is  why  in  some  minds  heaven  seems 
so  far  away,  while  to  others  it  is  always  at  hand." 

Her  husband  placed  his  hand  upon  her  shoulder, 
the  touch  bespeaking  companionship  and  tenderness. 

"Heaven  surely  is  no  distance  away  to  you,  dear," 
he  said  softly. 

She  glanced  up  at  him  and  smiled.  "What  a  blessed 
thing  to  realize,"  she  murmured.  "What  a  joy  to 
understand  and  dwell  in  that  perfect  harmony  where 
Love  reigns — to  feel  no  evil;  to  know  no  evil." 

For  some  minutes  both  remained  silent,  realizing 
within  themselves  that  kingdom  of  God,  of  good,  of 
which  the  Master  taught.  They  were  brought  back 
to  a  sense  of  material  things  by  Roscoe  who  announced 
with  some  little  show  of  impatience  that  "everyone 
else  had  gone  ashore  and  that  they  had  better  be  doing 
the  same  as  their  friends  might  think  they  had  not 
come."  Laughing  they  turned  towards  the  companion- 
way  just  in  time  to  run  plump  into  the  arms  of  Sir 
Allin  as  he  came  up  the  stairway.  Brothers  meeting 
after  years  of  separation  could  have  felt  no  greater 
happiness  than  that  manifested  by  the  two  men;  and 
their  joy  was  fully  shared  by  Lucy. 

"It  is  the  same  John,"  exclaimed  Sir  Allin,  "and 
the  same  Lucy,"  grasping  her  hand.  "No  one  could 
look  at  you  two  after  these  years  and  deny  that  time 
is  a  mortal  concept." 

"We  were  just  remarking,"  replied  John,  "that 
space  is  really  measured  by  time  and  now  we  find  that 
time  is  measured  by  mortal  mind.  What  is  the  con- 
clusion?" 


OLD  FRIENDS  MEET  189 

"That  both  are  but  a  phase  of  human  thought," 
answered  Sir  Allin. 

"As  I  remarked  but  a  moment  ago,"  said  John. 

"And  that  both  are  unreaHties,"  laughed  Lucy. 

"We  had  better  be  getting  ashore,"  said  Sir  Allin, 
"the  children  are  impatient  to  see  you." 

"The  children.'*"  said  John  interrogatively. 

"Yes,  Constance's  children." 

"Well!  Well!"  laughed  John.  "It  is  surprising 
how  our  ideas  do  increase  and  multiply.  There  is 
nothing,  however,  that  so  frees  us  from  the  sense  of 
time  as  the  thoughts  and  deeds  of  children.  I  am 
sure  Lucy  and  I  are  quite  as  anxious  to  see  them  as 
they  are  to  see  us." 

The  party  quickly  made  its  way  to  the  pier  where 
they  were  more  than  warmly  greeted  by  Judge  and 
Mrs.  Taylor  and  the  two  boys.  They  were  hardly 
seated  in  Sir  Allin's  car  when  Bobby  leaning  over 
whispered  confidentially  to  John: 

"I  just  knew  you  wasn't  anything  like  that!" 

"Anything  like  what.''"  asked  John,  lifting  the  child 
on  to  his  knee. 

"Like  a  codfish." 

"What  is  the  child  talking  about?"  asked  John 
turning  to  Sir  Allin.  "Bobby  says  I  do  not  look  like 
a  codfish.     Who  ever  told  him  I  did  ?" 

"I  am  sure  I  cannot  imagine,"  was  the  reply. 

"Why,  grandpa,"  broke  in  Harold,  "you  did  your- 
self. You  said  that  when  you  were  boys,  you  said  to 
Mr.  Winslow  one  day:  'Jack,  you're  all  right,  but  you're 
an  awful  codfish.'  " 

Sir  Allin  burst  into  a  great  laugh.     "Not  codfish," 


190  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

he  finally  managed  to  explain,  "but  mollycoddle.     Do 
you  remember,  Jack?" 

"I  should  say  I  do,"  was  the  laughing  rejoinder. 
VAnd  I  remember  also  what  a  time  I  had  to  change 
your  opinion." 

"No  wonder  Bobby  was  anxious  to  see  you,"  ex- 
claimed Sir  Allin. 

Again  both  laughed  heartily  at  Bobby's  conception, 
and  John  remarked  in  an  undertone:  "At  that,  Allin, 
I  do  not  think  he  was  as  far  from  the  real  idea  as  you 
were." 

"True,  Jack,  true!  How  differently  I  do  look  at 
things  from  what  I  once  did." 

And  the  two  friends  unmindful  of  those  about  them 
went  back  at  a  bound  over  the  passing  years. 

"And  how  is  my  old  friend,  the  Duke  of  Lackland  ?" 
asked  John  as  the  automobile  sped  down  the  broad 
highway  and  the  towers  of  the  ducal  home  were  pointed 
out  in  the  distance. 

"More  aggressive  and  more  lovable  than  ever," 
replied  Sir  Allin.  "Since  he  assumed  charge  of  the 
government  this  time  he  has  been  even  more  positive 
in  his  opinions  than  when  you  knew  him." 

"Because  the  nation  back  of  him  is  more  aggressive, 
I  suppose?" 

Sir  Allin  looked  up  in  considerable  surprise. 

"Where  did  you  get  such  an  idea  as  that  ?"  he  asked. 

"Is  it  not  so?" 

"By  no  means." 

"Then  you  have  been  seriously  misrepresented," 
declared  John.  "In  the  United  States  and  even  in 
England,  there  is  a  strong  belief  that  Guelph  aspires 


OLD  FRIENDS  MEET  191 

to  be  recognized  as  a  great  world  power  and  is  only 
awaiting  an  opportunity  to  assert  herself." 

"The  thought  must  have  had  its  origin  in  a  fear 
that  she  might  be.  I  am  sure  nothing  is  further  from 
the  minds  of  our  people." 

"In  his  public  utterances,  your  late  prime  minister, 
Mr.  Benton,  has  led  us  to  think  otherwise." 

"Then  Mr.  Benton  is  certainly  voicing  untruth.  I 
hope  while  you  are  with  us,  you  Will  learn  the  truth 
about  us  and  that  upon  your  return  you  will  give  it  to 
the  world.  I  am  sure,  from  what  we  know  of  your 
career  that  your  word  will  be  believed." 

"It  is  kind  of  you  to  say  so;  and  I  can  assure  you 
that  no  task  could  give  me  greater  pleasure.  I  have 
tried  all  my  life  to  voice  the  truth  and  I  am  happy  in 
the  thought  that  all  my  fellow-men  realize  it. 

"But  if  this  is  not  the  cause  of  the  duke's  aggressive- 
ness, what  is.''"  insisted  John. 

"Why,  the  verification  of  his  prophecy  that  our 
former  war  would  prove  anything  but  a  blessing.  It 
is  a  great  thing  to  be  proven  right,  you  know." 

"But  if  the  government  is  so  strongly  convinced 
that  the  war  was  a  curse  why  does  it  wish  to  engage 
in  another — Oh!"  exclaimed  John  interrupting  himself 
— "I  forgot,  it  does  not." 

"Do  not  forget  again,"  laughed  Sir  AUin.  "And 
the  first  time  we  have  a  quiet  hour  together,  I  will 
acquaint  you  with  the  whole  story  of  Mr.  Benton's 
defeat  and  subsequent  actions.  I  feel  that  the  clear 
thought  of  yourself  and  wife  will  be  a  great  help  to  us 
in  solving  what  now  appears  to  be  a  most  serious 
problem. 


192  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"But,  to  change  the  subject.  To  what  are  we 
indebted  for  this  most  pleasant  surprise?  I  do  not 
know  when  I  have  had  anything  give  me  so  much 
pleasure  as  your  wireless  received  yesterday  morning." 

"We  intended  it  as  a  surprise.  At  first  we  were  not 
going  to  notify  you  at  all;  but  as  we  drew  near,  Lucy 
thought  we  had  better  prepare  you  a  little.  And  by 
the  way  I  am  glad  to  find  Judge  Taylor  with  you." 

"Yes,  he  is  doing  grand  work.  I  do  not  know  why 
it  was,  but  for  several  years  our  work  here  did  not 
seem  to  grow.     It  seemed  blighted  for  a  season." 

"It  is  pretty  hard,"  said  John,  "for  good  thoughts 
to  flourish  upon  barren  ground." 

"But  see  how  it  flourished  here  twenty  years  ago.' 
Even  up  to  the  time  of  our  war!"  continued  Sir  Allin. 

"You  remember  the  parable  of  the  sower,  do  you 
not?"  asked  John.  "You  know  how  the  seed  that 
fell  upon  stony  ground,  where  the  soil  was  shallow, 
sprang  up  quickly  and  flourished  until  the  sun  dried 
it  up.  I  should  say  that  Guelph  was  a  fair  sample  of 
that  ground.  When  the  sun  of  anger  and  strife  arose, 
it  dried  up  the  shallow  soil  and,  lacking  the  moisture 
of  kindness  and  gentleness,  the  young  plant  withered. 
But  if  the  nation  has  learned  its  lesson,  and  a  desire 
has  come  for  a  lasting  peace,  you  are  doubtless  sowing 
upon  better  soil." 

"You  always  did  have  a  clear  way  of  putting  things. 
Jack,  and  you  reason  rightly  from  cause  to  effect. 
Therefore  I  feel  that  because  the  seed  of  Truth  is  now 
taking  firm  root  and  the  plants  are  bearing  fruit,  the 
heart  of  the  nation  must  be  more  fertile." 

"It  is,"  ejaculated  Judge  Taylor,  who  having  heard 


OLD  FRIENDS  MEET  193 

his  name  mentioned  felt  at  liberty  to  join  in  the  con- 
versation of  the  two  friends.  "It  is.  When  I  lectured 
here  just  prior  to  the  war,  I  could  feel  that  the  people 
had  not  a  receptive  thought.  They  were  halting 
between  two  opinions;  they  were  vacillating  between 
fear  and  anger — pride  and  envy.  But  I  can  assure 
you,  Mr.  Winslow,  that  today  the  people  have  put 
war  out  of  their  minds,  and  the  sentiment  in  favor  of 
disarmament  is  so  strong  that  could  Guelph  be  certain 
of  the  attitude  of  the  great  powers  she  would  give 
practical  proof  of  that  desire  by  turning  her  men-of- 
war  into  peaceful  merchantmen." 

"And  this  visit  of  the  fleets  of  the  Orient,"  continued 
Sir  Allin,  "would  be  much  better  not  made.  It  is 
simply  keeping  alive  in  the  minds  of  our  people  the 
thought  that  we  must  be  prepared  for  war." 

"I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  that,"  declared  John. 
*'It  is  exactly  my  idea.  I  have  been  opposed  to  the 
display  from  the  first  and  have  not  hesitated  to  express 
my  sentiments;  but  as  I  am  not  now  holding  any  official 
positioii,  my  voice  has  only  been  that  of  a  private 
citizen  and  has  not  seemed  to  carry  much  weight  in 
quarters  where  it  would  do  good. 

"This  brings  me  to  vhe  answering  of  your  question 
as  to  my  visit,  and  I  will  say  that  primarily  my  trip  here 
is  to  see  how  your  people  will  be  affected  by  this  visit." 

On  the  rear  seat  Constance  and  Lucy  had  at  first 
been  largely  interested  in  the  talk  of  the  children;  but 
as  the  youngsters  calmed  down  and  became  absorbed 
in  their  own  prattle,  the  conversation  drifted  naturally 
to  the  topic  which  was  uppermost  in  their  minds,  and 
Constance  exclaimed: 


194  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

*'We  are  so  glad  lo  have  you  here  at  this  time.  We 
have  had  such  a  seeming  sense  of  trouble,  that  I  feel 
we  need  a  good  clear  thought  to  help  us  to  the 
light." 

Lucy  gave  her  a  loving  smile  as  she  replied: 

"Our  mission  in  life  is  to  help.  We  are  trying  to 
make  practical  our  prayer  for  growth  in  grace  by  giving 
expression  to  it  as  our  text  book  tells  us,  in  love  and 
good  deeds.     Whence  comes  this  sense  of  trouble?" 

"Through  my  brother  Tom.  The  coming  of  the 
foreign  war-vessels  seems  to  have  set  our  people  think- 
ing war  when  they  would  otherssnse  be  thinking  peace. 
Tom  is  already  expressing  this  thought,  not  only  in 
words,  but  in  his  actions." 

"Your  brother  is  in  one  of  the  departments,  is  he 
not?" 

"In  the  admiralty." 

"Oh  yes,  I  see;  and  being  in  such  close  touch  with 
this  affair,  he  would  possibly  be  among  the  first  to  feel 
the  disturbing  influence — unless,"  continued  Lucy,  "he 
understands  what  it  means  to  dwell  in  the  secret  place 
of  the  Most  High." 

"He  has  been  taught,"  replied  Cunscance,  "but  we 
feel  that  he  has  not  lived  up  to  the  teaching.  He  has 
allowed  a  belief  in  his  own  ability  to  blind  his  eyes  to 
the  reality  of  being." 

"But  his  eyes  will  be  opened,"  declared  Lucy 
earnestly.  "We  have  scriptural  authority  for  the 
statement:  'Train  up  a  child  in  the  way  he  should  go, 
and  when  he  is  old  he  will  not  depart  from  it.'  But 
he  needs  some  immediate  help." 

"He  does  indeed." 


OLD  FRIENDS  MEET  196 

"Doubtless  he  is  attributing  his  trouble  to  human 
agency  ?" 

"Entirely.  He  thinks  it  is  spite  work  on  the  part  of 
one  of  the  secretaries  in  another  department." 

"And  of  course  refuses  to  look  for  the  impersonal 
error  or  to  recognize  it  for  what  it  is  ?" 

"Exactly!"  replied  Constance.  "Both  Judge  Taylor 
and  father  have  talked  with  him,  but  he  is  full  of  anger 
and  insists  that  he  will  demand  an  investigation  and 
expose  the  guilty  party." 

Lucy  laughed  softly:  "In  short  he  will  try  to  over- 
come evil  with  evil.  Poor  boy!  But  is  he  to  be  blamed 
when  he  is  but  voicing  the  error  continually  expressed 
by  the  nations  of  the  earth  .^" 

Lucy's  words  and  manner,  so  full  of  sympathy  and 
charity  for  the  wayward  one,  touched  Constance  deeply 
and  she  thought: 

"How  truly  have  we  been  taught  that  sympathy 
and  kind  words  are  better  than  the  utterance  of 
many  platitudes,  of  whose  real  meaning  most  of  us 
have  but  the  faintest  idea." 

Aloud  she  said:  "There  is  something  in  your  very 
presence  that  brings  encouragement.  I  seem  to  feel 
that  through  you  this  error  will  be  uncovered." 

"It  is  already  uncovered,"  declared  Lucy  simply. 
"It  is  the  belief  that  man  can  suffer  for  aught  but  his 
own  sins — and  the  remedy  is  always  at  hand.  It  is 
to  realize  man's  unity  with  God — with  Truth  and 
Love.  Then  all  suffering  will  cease,  for  there  is  no 
one  who  cannot  prove  the  promise  of  the  scriptures: 
'Draw  nigh  to  God,  and  He  will  draw  nigh  to  you.'  " 

"But  Uncle  Tom  won't  draw  nigh  to  Love,"  broke 


196  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

in  Harold,  who,  unnoticed,  had  become  an  interested 
listener.  "He  and  Jackey  are  going  back  to  town  to- 
morrow and  he  says  he'll  show  'em!  Why,  he's  just 
running  right  away  from  God!" 

"But  like  Elijah  and  Jonah  and  thousands  of  others," 
said  Lucy,  "he  will  find  there  is  no  place  where  Truth 
and  Love  are  not." 

"Oh,  you  and  I  know  it!"  exclaimed  Harold,  "but 
Uncle  Tom  don't." 
.  "Then  we  must  know  it  for  him." 

Their  conversation  was  interrupted  by  the  sudden 
stopping  of  the  car.  As  they  approached  a  fork  in 
the  road,  the  chauffeur  had  discovered  another  auto 
flying  down  the  highway  that  led  from  Lackland  Hall. 
He  slowed  up  to  let  it  pass,  but  as  soon  as  the 
occupant  of  the  other  car  caught  sight  of  Sir  Allin's 
machine,  he  stopped  and  signalled  Sir  Allin  to  do  like- 
wise. 

"It  is  the  duke,  himself,"  exclaimed  Judge  Taylor, 
as  the  two  machines  approached  each  other. 

"Why  so  it  is,"  exclaimed  Sir  Allin;  and  then  louder 
as  they  came  to  a  stop,  "Good  morning,  Your  Grace! 
You  are  out  early.  You  remember  Mr.  Winslow  from 
America .?" 

"With  the  greatest  pleasure,"  exclaimed  the  duke 
alighting  from  his  car  and  extending  his  hand  which 
John  grasped  warmly.  "This  is  indeed  a  most  un- 
expected pleasure.  I  had  not  learned  that  you  w^ere 
expected." 

"Nor  was  he  until  yesterday  morning,"  replied  Sir 
Allin,  "and  this  is  Mrs.  Winslow,  Your  Grace." 

"I  feel  as  though  I  already  knew  her,"  replied  the 


OLD  FRIENDS  MEET  197 

duke.  "I  am  as  pleased  to  meet  her  as  I  am  to  greet 
her  husband." 

"The  pleasure  is  mutual,  I  am  sure,"  said  Lucy. 
"Such  good  reports  have  come  from  Guelph  that  all 
must  esteem  it  an  honor  to  know  her  prime  minister." 

The  duke's  face  flushed  at  the  kindly  words  of 
praise,  and  then  of  a  sudden  his  countenance  changed. 

"The  meeting  with  your  distinguished  guests  caused 
me  to  forget  the  errand  upon  which  I  was  bent,  Sir 
Allin.     I  have  bad  news  for  you." 

"Tom.?"  instinctively  exclaimed  Sir  Allin. 

"Yes." 

"What  is  it?" 

"Perhaps  it  were  better  for  your  ears  alone.?" 

"No,  Your  Grace,  no  matter  what  the  seeming  trouble, 
I  would  rather  it  be  voiced  here.  There  is  no  human 
help  I  would  seek  quicker  than  that  of  these  friends." 

"I  am  afraid  you  will  need  all  their  encouragement  at 
this  time.  My  private  secretary  wires  from  Elmborn 
that  Lord  Aukland  has  accused  your  son  of  treason." 

"Treason!"  exclaimed  Sir  Allin,  and  the  others 
silently  echoed  his  words. 

"Yes,  he  charges  that  Tom  has  been  furnishing  at 
least  one  foreign  nation  with  information  regarding 
our  coast  defenses." 

At  the  word  "treason"  Lucy  had  closed  her  eyes  while 
she  uttered  a  silent  protest.  As  the  duke  finished 
speaking  she  said  quietly: 

"Of  course  the  charge  is  untrue." 

"It's  a  lie!"  exclaimed  Harold  impulsively,  but  his 
mother  stopped  further  words  by  gathering  him  into 
her  arms. 


198  THE  PEACEISIAKERS 

"I  believe  it  is,"  said  the  duke,  "else  I  would  not 
now  be  on  this  errand.  But,  Sir  Allin,  .if  you  will  get 
into  my  car  we  will  hasten  to  Somerton  to  confer  with 
Tom.     The  others  can  come  on  more  slowly." 

Sir  Allin  took  his  place  in  the  duke's  flyer  and  the 
two  conveyances  proceeded  on  their  way.  Little  was 
said,  all  being  busy  with  their  own  thoughts;  but  after 
a  few  moments  Harold  leaned  over  and  whispered  in 
Lucy's  ear: 

"We'll  have  to  know  Truth  and  Love  for  Uncle 
Tom  harder  than  ever,  won't  we  ?" 


CHAPTER  V 


THE    MARK    OF   THE    BEAST 


Lady  Gay  Beckworth,  Countess  of  Selwyn,  was  a 
disappointed  and  dissatisfied  woman.  Having  once 
become  the  former,  it  was  but  a  natural  consequence 
that  in  time  she  should  become  the  latter;  but  in  Lady 
Beckworth's  case,  the  dissatisfied  thought  had  followed 
speedily  upon  disappointment. 

Perhaps  at  the  time  when  we  are  about  to  form  her 
acquaintance,  she  had  reached  a  bit  more  healthful 
condition  of  thought  from  a  human  point  of  view,  in 
that  she  was  not  so  much  dissatisfied  as  unsatisfied. 
She  had  tried  about  everything  the  world  had  to  offer, 
and  while  she  had  been  so  often  disappointed  that  she 
was  thoroughly  dissatisfied  with  life  as  she  viewed  it, 
she  was  not  satisfied  to  let  matters  rest  there,  and  was 
still  seeking  happiness  from  first  one  and  then  another 
fleeting  pleasure. 

In  her  girlhood,  before  she  became  Countess  of 
Selwyn,  she  had  been  deeply  religious  in  accordance 
with  the  teaching  of  the  established  church  of  the 
realm.  She  had  conscientiously  observed  all  its  fast 
days,  had  consistently  refrained  from  doing  the  things 
which  its  rules  prohibited  and  had  striven  earnestly  to 
find  happiness  in  its  teachings;  but  for  some  reason — 
which  she  could  not  put  into  words,  but  which  she 

199 


200  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

nevertheless  felt — she  had  been  unable  to  satisfy  the 
longings  of  her  heart.  The  God  she  had  been  taught 
to  call  upon  was  too  far  away  and  by  far  too  august  a 
person  to  pay  any  heed  to  her  prayers.  As  she  grew 
into  young  womanhood  and  looked  back  upon  her 
girlhood  days,  she  was  sure  that  not  one  of  her  prayers 
had  ever  been  answered — and  she  had  prayed  the  best 
she  knew.  She  had  tried  to  follow  the  teachings  of 
Jesus,  but  here  again  she  had  scored  so  many  failures 
that  she  began  to  look  upon  them  with  mistrust. 

Had  she  not  given  liberally  to  the  support  of  the 
church?  Had  she  not  been  a  regular  contributor  to 
its  charities  ?  But  what  especial  happiness  had  she 
found  in  this.''  When  she  had  called  upon  the  needy 
they  had  accepted  her  money,  and  when  she  had 
visited  the  sick,  they  were  too  feeble  to  notice  her,  and 
she  had  gone  away  discouraged. 

"What  is  the  use  of  my  doing  these  things .P"  she 
finally  asked  her  rector.  "It  is  my  money  and  not 
my  society  that  the  poor  are  after;  and  as  for  the  sick, 
they  need  doctors,  not  visitors.  If  I  could  heal  as  the 
apostles  did,  I  might  be  of  use;  but  as  it  is  I  would 
better  stay  at  home." 

And  stay  at  home  she  did. 

Having  ceased  trying  to  do  church  work,  she  found 
herself  out  of  any  kind  of  employment.  In  her  dis- 
satisfaction, she  turned  completely  around  and  sought 
only  worldly  pleasures.  She  became  in  habit,  as 
well  as  in  name.  My  Lady  Gay,  and  before  the  season 
was  over  was  a  confirmed  butterfly. 

When  she  was  twenty-five  she  had  married  the  Count 
of  Selwyn,  but  her  married  life  was  brief,  her  husband 


THE  MARK  OF  THE  BEAST  201 

having  been  one  of  the  first  to  fall  in  war.  Having  no 
children,  the  title  passed  to  a  brother  and  Lady  Gay 
went  home  to  her  mother. 

Disappointed  in  her  married  life,  dissatisfied  with 
society,  and  being  a  woman  of  great  natural  activity, 
she  had  next  turned  her  attention  to  politics.  Here, 
at  least,  was  something  worth  while,  she  thought. 
Having  already  a  slight  acquaintance  with  George 
Benton,  she  cultivated  this  acquaintance,  and  soon 
became  an  apt  pupil  of  his  methods,  while  he  in  turn, 
found  in  her  a  very  useful  assistant  in  acquiring  diplo- 
matic secrets.  It  was  not  long,  therefore,  until  her 
residence  became  the  home  of  what  might  be  termed 
the  second  diplomatic  circle. 

At  the  end  of  five  years,  having  largely  reduced  her 
income  by  numerous  extravagances,  she  had  been 
obliged  to  appeal  to  Benton  for  financial  assistance, 
and  this  had  put  her  completely  within  his  power. 

Every  once  in  a  while  there  would  intrude  itself  upon 
her  consciousness  that  longing  which  was  gradually 
transforming  her  from  a  dissatisfied  to  an  unsatisfied 
woman,  but  as  yet  she  had  not  reached  the  point 
where  she  was  ready  or  even  desirous  of  turning  from 
her  present  mode  of  thought  and  action. 

While  she  heartily  despised  Benton's  methods,  she 
greatly  admired  the  man  and  had  been  one  of  his  most 
trusted  workers  during  the  recent  election.  He  had 
never  told  her  the  real  cause  of  the  sudden  change,  and 
she  had  believed  to  the  last  that  he  would  win. 

When  he  was  finally  defeated  her  wrath  knew  no 
bounds;  and  when  the  Duke  of  Lackland  was  made 
prime  minister,  she  vowed  vengeance  upon  him  and 


202  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

his — and  the  "his"  to  Lady  Gay,  meant  not  only  his 
daughter — but  everyone  and  everything  in  which  he 
was  interested. 

This  condition  of  thought  made  her  a  willing  tool, 
not  only  for  Benton,  but  for  anyone  who  might  be 
opposing  the  government.  And  when  Benton  left  on 
his  trip  around  the  world,  and  she  could  not  so  easily 
sell  to  him  any  secrets  she  might  obtain,  she  turned  to 
the  secret  agents  of  other  nations. 

Among  those  with  whom  she  especially  ingratiated 
herself  was  old  Count  von  Lindenhohen.  With  a 
weakness  for  handsome  women,  he  was  especially 
susceptible  to  a  brilliant  woman.  Lady  Beckworth 
was  both,  and  so  they  speedily  became  fast  friends. 

Having  found  what  she  considered  a  market  for  her 
information,  she  next  cast  about  for  a  source  of  supply; 
for  while  she  did  not  hesitate  to  manufacture  informa- 
tion when  in  need,  she  wanted  something  to  give  it  an 
air  of  probability. 

It  was  just  at  this  time  that  Tom  Allin  was  appointed 
under-secretary  of  naval  affairs  and  it  did  not  take 
the  astute  Lady  Gay  long  to  discover  the  great  friend- 
ship that  existed  between  his  family  and  that  of  the 
Duke  of  Lackland;  nor  did  it  take  her  long  after  she 
once  set  out  to  get  acquainted  with  Tom,  to  discover 
that  he  was  considered  by  far  the  most  favored  of  all 
Lady  Judith's  many  suitors. 

Now  if  there  was  any  one  woman  in  the  world  whom 
Lady  Beckworth  feared  it  was  the  young  Marchioness 
of  Oxley.  Why  this  should  be,  she  could  not  tell. 
She  knew  why  she  hated  her — because  Lady  Judith 
had  absolutely  refused  to  receive  her  at  Oxley  House, 


THE  MARK  OF  THE  BEAST  203 

even  at  the  most  democratic  of  the  government  func- 
tions— but  she  had  not  yet  learned  that  evil  fears 
goodness  and  that  error  fears  truthfulness;  that  the 
more  impersonal  they  are  the  greater  the  conflict,  and 
so,  while  she  feared  Lady  Judith,  she  was  ignorant  of 
the  cause.  But  this  fear  did  not  lessen  her  desire  to 
injure  the  young  marchioness,  nor  her  determination 
to  do  so. 

So  it  was,  that  when  error  sought  a  channel,  it  found 
Lady  Beckworth  ready;  and  it  was  upon  information 
furnished  by  her,  the  duke  told  Sir  Allin  as  they  sped 
along  to  Somerton,  that  the  accusation  against  Tom 
had  come. 

"I  have  warned  him  upon  at  least  two  separate  occa- 
sions," said  the  duke,  "not  to  visit  her.  Both  times, 
as  I  recall,  he  told  me  that  the  visits  had  really  been 
forced  upon  him." 

"How  could  such  a  thing  be  possible?" 

"Designing  women  have  many  ways  of  bringing 
around  results  they  wish  to  attain.  I  have  no  doubt 
your  son  will  tell  us." 

"It  is  a  great  comfort  to  me,"  exclaimed  Sir  Allin, 
"that  you  have  faith  in  Tom." 

"I  have,  because  Judith  has.  I  look  upon  Tom, 
Sir  Allin,  almost  as  my  son." 

Tears  came  to  Sir  Allin's  eyes.  "And  I  had  hoped 
that  he  might  prove  worthy  of  your  affection  and  con- 
fidence; but  did  I  not  know  that  God  is  the  only  power, 
this  news  you  bring  would  seem  to  mark  the  end  of 
his  career." 

"It  is  surely  a  time  for  fortitude,"  declared  the  duke 
earnestly. 


204  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

*'I  should  have  no  fear,  Your  Grace,  could  we  only 
bring  my  son  to  realize  where  his  strength  and  safety 
lay  and  to  trust  in  God." 

The  duke  looked  at  Sir  Allin  almost  with  compassion 
as  he  said: 

"Were  it  not  that  I  have  had  so  many  proofs  of 
your  ability  to  avert  trouble  by  the  means  you  suggest. 
Sir  Allin,  I  should  rather  be  glad  that  your  son  had 
confidence  in  his  own  ability.  To  simply  trust  in  God, 
seems  to  me  not  only  uncertain  but  a  bit  cowardly.  I 
like  young  fellows  who  have  faith  in  themselves." 

"No  one,  who  believes  that  man  is  made  in  God's 
likeness,"  replied  Sir  Allin  earnestly,  "can  have  faith 
in  himself,  who  has  not  faith  in  God — divine  Truth 
and  Love." 

They  entered  the  beautiful  park  and  approached  the 
house  where  Lady  Judith,  Sibyl  and  Tom  were  out  on 
the  veranda  awaiting  them. 

"Where  are  your  guests,  father?"  asked  Tom  as 
he  came  down  the  steps  to  greet  them,  "and  where  did 
you  pick  up  the  duke.^" 

"The  duke  picked  me  up,  and  our  guests  will  be 
here  shortly,"  replied  Sir  Allin  as  he  and  the  duke 
alighted.  "But,  my  boy,  we  are  the  bearers  of  bad 
news,  which,  as  you  know,  travels  fast." 

"More  bad  news?"  said  Tom  interrogatively. 

"Yes,"  answered  the  duke,  "more." 

Tom's  face  blanched.  "Have  I  been  removed  with- 
out a  chance  to  explain  about  the  letter?" 

"It  is  more  serious  than  that." 

Perceiving  that  something  unusual  had  happened 
Lady  Judith  and  Sibyl  had  drawn  near  to  listen. 


THE  MARK  OF  THE  BEAST  205 

"Lord  Aukland  has  written  a  personal  letter  to  the 
king,"  continued  the  duke,  "accusing  you  of  having 
furnished  information  of  our  coast  defenses  to  a  foreign 
nation." 

A  low  cry  escaped  Lady  Judith's  lips,  but  Tom  stood 
speechless. 

"It  amounts  to  a  charge  of  treason,"  broke  in  Sir 
Allin,  no  longer  able  to  control  himself.  "My  boy! 
My  boy!" 

At  his  words,  Tom  reeled  and  would  have  fallen 
had  not  the  duke  caught  him. 

"Treason!"  he  whispered.  "Treason!  O  father! 
O  Lady  Judith!  You  do  not  believe  it  ?"  he  cried.  "I 
am  the  victim  of  some  terrible  plot." 

He  covered  his  eyes  with  his  hands  and  sank  fainting 
into  the  duke's  arms,  just  as  the  second  automobile 
drew  up  in  front  of  the  house. 

Quickly  alighting,  John  and  Judge  Taylor  carried 
the  young  man  up  the  steps  and  laid  him  on  a  porch 
seat,  while  Lucy  and  Constance  closed  their  eyes  in 
prayerful  denial  of  any  power  apart  from  God.  In  a 
few  moments  Tom  opened  his  eyes,  but  he  made  no 
response  to  the  questions  put  to  him  by  his  father  and 
Judge  Taylor.  His  eyes  had  a  vacant  stare,  and  he 
gave  no  sign  that  he  recognized  those  about  him, 
except  as  his  fingers  mechanically  closed  around  the 
hand  which  Lady  Judith  laid  upon  them. 

"I  fear  the  shock  has  been  too  much  for  him,"  said 
the  duke.  "I  do  not  suppose  it  would  be  of  any  use 
for  me  to  suggest  a  physician  ?" 

"A  physician  is  certainly  needed,"  said  Sir  Allin. 
"All  in  this  household  except  my  son  depend  upon  the 


206  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

Great  Physician,  but  his  case  is  pitiable  indeed,"  and 
he  covered  his  face  with  hands. 

Both  John  and  the  duke  looked  at  him  enquiringly. 

"I  do  not  think  I  understand,"  said  the  duke. 

"I  think  I  can  explain,"  said  Lady  Judith  quietly. 
"Tom  has  refused  before  this  to  have  a  doctor,  because 
he  has  no  faith  in  medicine;  and  he  has  likewise  refused 
Christian  Science  treatment,  because  he  realizes  that  if 
he  would  have  permanent  healing  through  its  ministra- 
tions, he  must  live  a  different  life.  In  the  words  of 
Jesus,  he  must  go  and  sin  no  more  lest  a  worse  thing 
come  upon  him." 

By  this  time  Lucy  had  approached  the  unconscious 
man. 

"Will  you  take  him  to  some  quiet  room,"  she  asked, 
"and  leave  him  with  me." 

The  very  tone  of  her  voice  caused  Tom  to  turn  his 
eyes  in  her  direction  as  Sir  Allin  replied : 

"Most  gladly.  He  shall  be  removed  to  his  own  room. 
Oh,  how  thankful  we  are  for  your  presence!" 

Left  alone  with  her  charge  Lucy  stood  for  several 
minutes  beside  the  bed  upon  which  the  young  man 
lay,  seemingly  unconscious,  and  regarded  him  with  a 
look  of  unutterable  compassion.  Tenderly  she  laid 
her  hand  upon  his  pallid  brow  and  the  radiance  of  a 
love  divine  was  reflected  in  her  wondrous  eyes.  It  was 
such  a  love  as  the  Master  must  have  felt  for  sinning 
and  suffering  humanity  when  he  stood  at  the  bedside 
of  the  little  maid  and  said  unto  her:  "Arise!" 

Gradually  the  color  came  into  Tom's  cheeks,  and  he 
opened   his   eyes   and    regarded    Lucy   intently.     She 


THE  MARK  OF  THE  BEAST  207 

stepped  quickly  to  the  window  and  threw  the  shutters 
wide. 

"Let  us  have  all  the  light  we  can,"  she  exclaimed. 
"Let  us  come  out  of  the  darkness.  So!"  opening  still 
another  window.     "That  is  better." 

Tom  shaded  his  eyes  with  his  arm. 

"It  will  not  harm  you,"  she  continued,  "any  more 
than  the  light  of  Truth,  of  which  it  is  but  the  poor 
counterfeit.  'I  am  the  light  of  the  world,'  said  Christ 
Jesus,  and  it  is  the  light  of  the  Christ-truth  we  want. 
Let  us  rid  ourselves  of  the  darkness  of  error  and  come 
out  into  that  light  in  which  God  and  man  stand  re- 
vealed." 

Tom  lowered  his  arm  and  raised  his  head  to  get  a 
better  view  of  her. 

"Who  are  you?"  he  faintly  asked. 

"A  friend.  A  neighbor,  if  you  prefer,  who  would 
be  the  channel  through  which  the  streams  of  love  may 
come  to  your  heart.  I  have  come  to  save  you  from 
the  would-be  murderers — doubt,  anger,  fear,  selfish- 
ness— among  whom  you  have  fallen,  and  to  bind  up 
your  wounds." 

Tom  sank  back  wearily.  "I  have  heard  all  that  so 
often,"  he  said  very  faintly.     "It  is  not  for  me." 

"Not  for  yon"  exclaimed  Lucy  in  a  voice  that 
commanded  attention.     "And  who  arc  you?" 

Again  Tom  raised  his  head  at  the  forceful  words. 
For  a  moment  she  allowed  him  to  think  and  then 
continued : 

"You  are  right.  It  is  not  for  you.  It  is  for  the 
children  of  God.     It  is  for  the  offspring  of  Spirit,  not 


208  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

for  the  offspring  of  matter.  It  is  for  man  in  God's 
likeness,  that  the  great  truths  of  being  are  intended — 
for  those  who  reflect  enough  of  the  infinite  and  eternal 
good  to  realize  their  God-given  right  to  'every  good 
gift  and  every  perfect  gift,  which  cometh  down  from 
the  Father  of  lights  in  whom  is  no  variableness,  neither 
shadow  of  turning.'  " 

Tom  sat  up  in  the  bed  and  put  his  feet  on  the  floor, 
but  she  gave  him  no  opportunity  to  speak. 

"  'Know  ye  not,  that  to  whom  ye  yield  yourselves 
servants  to  obey,  his  servants  ye  are  to  whom  ye  obey; 
whether  of  sin  unto  death  or  of  obedience  unto  right- 
eousness,' "  she  quoted.  "And  whom  are  you  obey- 
ing? It  is  not  for  me  to  answer;  but  I  feel  that  you 
are  obeying  sin  unto  death.  You  are  worshipping  the 
beast,  of  which  St.  John  so  graphically  tells  us.  You 
are  yielding  yourself  to  the  beast,  to  your  carnal  desires, 
and  thereby  creating  his  image  in  your  thought.  In 
your  hand  is  his  mark,  and  neither  material  pains  nor 
pleasures  have  power  to  free  you  from  your  self- 
imposed  bondage.  Only  Truth  and  Love  can  do  this, 
my  son,  and  you  know  it.  You  may  deceive  others; 
you  cannot  deceive  God  and  your  own  true  self.  You 
are  not  obeying  unto  righteousness." 

"I  have  never  been  talked  to  like  this  before,"  said 
Tom  with  an  aggrieved  tone,"  and  in  my  present  con- 
dition it  does  not  seem  kind." 

"Then  separate  yourself  from  evil  and  let  us  con- 
template the  error  impersonally." 

Again  Lucy  stopped  and  regarded  him  with  a 
compassion  which  he  could  not  fail  to  realize.  For  a 
moment  he  met  her  loving  look  and  then  his  eyes  fell. 


THE  MARK  OF  THE  BEAST  209 

"My  poor  boy,"  she  said,  "your  case  is  most  serious." 

He  mistook  the  meaning  of  her  words,  and  putting 
his  hands  to  his  head  said: 

"I  am  sure  it  is.  I  have  such  a  dull  pain  here." 
He  turned  and  laid  his  head  on  his  pillow.  "What 
do  you  think  is  the  matter.^" 

"Selfishness,  lust,  hypocrisy,"  was  Lucy's  instant 
reply,  which  brought  the  young  man  to  his  feet.  "Un- 
less you  can  separate  yourself  from  these  evils,  they 
will  destroy  you  physically  and  morally.  They  are 
the  sins  which  Christ,  Truth,  must  destroy  if  you  are 
to  be  made  whole  and  restored  to  health  and  happiness." 

"And  you  do  not  think  it  is  my  brain  ?" 

Lucy  looked  at  him  long  and  earnestly. 

"You  know  it  is  not,"  she  at  length  said  with 
emphasis. 

The  door  was  softly  opened  and  Harold  glided  quietly 
into  the  room. 

"I  want  to  help  Uncle  Tom,"  he  softly  whispered. 

Lucy  sat  down  in  a  chair  and  lifted  the  child  on 
to  her  lap. 

"He  will  be  glad  to  hav^e  you.  Uncle  Tom  is  having 
a  hard  fight,  dear,  but  he  is  better." 

"And  he'll  be  all  well  when  he  just  thinks  truth  and 
love,  won't  he  ?" 

"How  do  you  know  I  am  not  thinking  truth  and 
love.?"  asked  Tom,  as  he  walked  slowly  across  the 
room  and  took  a  seat  by  the  open  window. 

"Why,  Uncle  Tom,  what  a  question!  If  you  were, 
you  couldn't  do  the  way  you  do.  You  are  not  reflecting 
Truth  and  Love — you  are  not  reflecting  God." 

Lucy  laid  her  hand  on  the  child's  head.     "The  little 


210  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

one  knows  what  he  means,  but  maybe  he  has  not 
expressed  it  very  clearly." 

"And  do  you  understand?"  asked  Tom. 
"What  the  child  means  is  simply  this,"  replied 
Lucy:  "Man  in  the  image  and  likeness  of  God  reflects 
God,  Spirit,  all  good — in  righteousness,  trutlifulness, 
courage,  kindness,  perfection  and  goodness  of  every 
kind.  The  child  feels  that  you  are  not  expressing  any 
of  these." 

"Then  what  am  I  expressing?" 

"I  should  say  doubt,  fear,  selfishness  and  all  those 
carnal  thoughts  which  are  the  very  opposite  of  love 
and  perfection." 

"That's  a  pretty  tough  picture.  And  I  begin  to 
think  that  maybe  I  do  not  understand.  If  man  is 
in  the  image  and  likeness  of  God,  how  can  he  reflect 
these  imperfections?" 

"In  Christ,  Truth,  he  cannot;  but  for  you  or  me  to 
say  that  we  are  in  the  image  and  likeness  of  God  and 
then  to  express  not  love,  trutlifulness,  spirituality — all 
goodness;  but  instead,  doubt,  fear,  hatred,  envy,  re- 
venge, materiality, — error  of  all  kinds;  is  hardly  com- 
mon sense,  to  say  nothing  of  its  being  unscientific. 
We  are  not  expressing  the  image  and  likeness  of  God 
save  as  we  manifest  truth  and  goodness — Godliness." 

"Do  you  think  I  can  be  healed?"  Tom  asked. 

"Do  you  want  to  be?" 

"Yes." 

"Then  you  can  be." 

There  was  a  gentle  knock  at  the  door.  It  was 
Lady  Judith. 


THE  MARK  OF  THE  BEAST  211 

"I  am  after  Harold,"  she  explained.  *'His  mother 
thought  he  might  have  come  here." 

"He  has  done  me  a  world  of  good,*'  said  Tom. 
"And,  Lady  Judith,  come  in  and  hear  me.  I  begin  to 
see  what  a  conceited  fool  I  have  been;  and  I  want 
you  to  know  that  by  the  grace  of  God  I  am  going  to  do 
better." 

Lady  Judith's  face  beamed  with  happiness  as  she 
exclauned  impulsively:  "Oh,  Tom.'  Oh,  Mrs.  Win- 
slow!  How  we  shall  all  rejoice!  And  you  will  be 
well,  Tom?" 

"I  am  better.  But  this  terrible  charge!  Lady  Judith, 
you  will  stand  by  me  ?" 

"I  gave  you  my  hand  upon  it,  Tom,  and  I  am 
more  your  friend  now  than  ever." 

"The  charge  is  utterly  false,  Lady  Judith,"  he  con- 
tinued ,  "but  how  am  I  to  prove  it  ?" 

'Because  he  has  set  his  love  upon  me,  therefore 
will  I  deliver  him,'  "  quoted  Lucy.  "If  you  know 
these  charges  to  be  false,  then  they  are  certainly 
false,  nothingness  to  omnipotent  Mind.  There  is 
nothing  that  can  be  hidden  from  right  sense." 

"Your  words  give  me  courage,"  said  Tom.  "I  feel 
like  another  man." 

"Not  like  another  man,"  declared  Lucy,  "but  like 
man,  a  son  of  God.  Against  such,  no  charge  of  treason 
can  stand." 


CHAPTER  VI 

BLESSINGS   IN    DISGUISE 

Two  days  later,  and  the  summer  sun  has  just  sunk 
to  rest  in  the  Indian  ocean.  In  her  large,  airy  apart- 
ment in  Oxley  House  the  young  marchioness  sits  in 
the  gloaming,  thinking  over  the  events  of  the  last  forty- 
eight  hours.  How  long  those  hours  seem.  When 
truth  and  error  meet  in  mortal  combat,  what  changes 
in  human  affairs  may  be  wrought  in  two  brief  days. 

Since  that  morning  when  she  had  seen  her  friend 
sink  unconscious  into  her  father's  arms,  to  be  revived 
and  given  a  new  sense  of  Life  by  the  visitor  from 
across  the  sea,  she  had  alternated  between  hope  and 
fear,  confidence  and  doubt,  joy  and  sorrow,  smiles 
and  tears.  With  almost  every  succeeding  hour  she 
had  been  swayed  by  various  passions  and  changing 
emotions.  Upon  Tom's  declaration  of  his  innocence 
of  any  wrong-doing,  she  had  believed  him,  while  Lucy's 
words  had  filled  her  with  confidence.  Two  hours 
later,  when  a  message  from  the  secret  service  agents 
informed  the  duke  that  the  charges  against  Tom, 
while  seemingly  well  founded,  were  evidently  part  of 
a  plot,  her  heart  grew  still  lighter.  But  when  the 
followinof  hour  brought  an  officer  and  two  soldiers, 
who  placed  Tom  under  arrest,  not  only  her  grief  but 
that  of  the  entire  household  had  been  great. 

212 


BLESSINGS  IN  DISGUISE  213 

The  duke  and  Sir  Allin  had  accompanied  Tom  and 
the  oflScer  to  Elmborn.  The  following  morning,  at 
the  earnest  request  of  Lady  Judith,  Lucy  and  John 
had  come  with  her  to  town  and  all  were  now  located 
at  Oxley  House.  The  trio  had  but  just  arrived,  when 
they  were  cheered  by  a  visit  from  Admiral  Moreland, 
who  came  over  to  pay  his  respects  to  the  distinguished 
visitors  and  to  assure  Sir  Allin  of  his  loyal  support; 
but  Sir  Allin  had  already  gone  out,  so  he  expressed 
himself  to  John  and  Lady  Judith. 

"I  am  sure  there  is  no  truth  in  the  charges,"  he  said 
as  he  was  leaving.  "Why,"  he  continued  excitedly, 
"with  such  a  father  he  could  no  more  do  this  thing 
than  a  fishing  smack  could  resist  the  shot  of  a  twelve- 
inch  gun.  I  can  not  see  how  Lord  Aukland  could 
make  such  a  charge." 

John  smiled  gravely.  "Did  he  realize  the  untruth- 
fulness of  all  evil  report,  he  could  not." 

Sir  William  looked  up  in  surprise.  "You  talk  just 
like  Sir  Allin,"  he  said;  "and  he  appears  utterly  oblivi- 
ous to  all  the  evil  which  to  me  seems  to  completely 
envelop  the  human  race." 

"I  presume  that  Sir  Allin  and  I  think  considerably 
alike.  I  trust,  however,  that  does  not  lessen  in  your 
mind  the  truth  of  the  statement." 

"I  have  no  opinion  on  the  subject.  I  am  more 
versed  in  physics  than  in  metaphysics.  I  can  get 
better  and  quicker  action  with  a  battleship  and  a 
couple  of  cruisers  than  with  such  abstract  propositions 
as  the  allness  of  good  and  the  nothingness  of  evil." 

"But  not  as  lasting.  My  Lord,  nor  as  far-reaching. 
Your    battleship    and    cruisers — in    fact    your    entire 


214  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

navy — has  to  do  with  only  a  very  limited  sphere.  The 
other  has  to  do  with  the  universe." 

"I  do  not  know  about  that,  Mr.  Winslow.  Shots 
have  been  fired  which  were  heard  around  the  world." 

"Physically  or  metaphysically.''"  asked  John. 

Sir  William  laughed:  "I  do  not  believe  I  am  in  your 
class,"  he  said.     "But  anjnvay,  I  have  faith  in  Tom." 

"A  staunch  friend,"  remarked  John,  as  the  admiral 
passed  down  the  steps.  "And  he  is  reflecting  more  of 
God  than  some  who  consider  themselves  much  more 
spiritual." 

Later  the  same  day,  through  the  duke's  influence, 
Tom's  case  was  made  the  subject  of  a  special  meeting 
by  the  king  and  his  cabinet.  The  duke  had  gone  into 
the  details  of  the  affair  and  related  the  incident  of  the 
letter.  Lord  Aukland  had  at  once  declared  this  to 
be  only  a  part  of  a  plot  to  divert  attention.  He  declared 
that  it  made  absolutely  no  difference  to  Count  von 
Lindenhohen  where  the  Vaalmaran  fleet  anchored, 
and  that  it  was  simply  a  ruse  to  conceal  the  ambas- 
sador's dealings  with  the  traitor,  as  Lord  Aukland 
persisted  in  calling  Tom. 

"There  is  no  one  else  who  could  have  given  the 
information  in  this  particular  manner,"  he  declared. 

Admiral  Moreland  was  on  his  feet  in  an  instant. 

"That,"  he  exclaimed,  "is  a  calumny  upon  the 
entire  admiralty.  Why,  there  are  marines  ij  the  service 
who  know  the  fortifications  as  well  as  I." 

"But  they  do  not  know  these  foreign  emissaries,  and 
could  not  have  communicated  with  them  without 
making  themselves  so  conspicuous  that  they  would  have 
been  detected  at  once.     They — " 


BLESSINGS  IN  DISGUISE  215 

"And  how  did  this  young  man  become  so  well 
acquainted  with  these  emissaries  ?"  interrupted  Sir 
William  indignantly. 

"Through  a  woman,  of  course,"  sneered  Lord 
Aukland.  "Pray  do  not  get  excited,  Sir  William. 
We  are  not  on  the  high  seas  now.  My  information, 
you  will  find,  is  quite  correct." 

"It  certainly  should  be  from  your  standpoint,  My 
Lord»"  said  the  Duke  of  Lackland  quietly,  "seeing 
that  it  came  through  the  same  woman." 

Lord  Aukland 's  face  flushed  and  he  started  to  his 
feet.  He  had  supposed  that  the  source  of  his  informa- 
tion was  quite  unknown.  He  was  about  to  make  a 
denial,  but  was  interrupted  by  the  king,  who  asked: 

"Without  mentioning  names,  my  Lord  of  Aukland, 
are  you  aware  of  the  reputation  of  your  informant  ?" 

Lord  Aukland  quickly  regained  his  composure  as 
he  replied: 

"Your  Majesty,  it  is  sometimes  necessary  to  fight 
fire  with  fire." 

"But  not  tar  with  pitch,"  said  the  duke. 

"Of  course  you  do  well  to  defend  this  man,"  said 
Lord  Aukland,  "because  it  is  all  in  the  family,  I  am 
told." 

The  duke  started  to  his  feet. 

"My  Lords!" exclaimed  the  king," we  are  discussing  a 
national  and  not  a  family  affair.  As  for  you,  my  Lord 
Aukland,  I  would  suggest  that  before  you  proceed 
farther  with  this  matter,  you  take  the  time  to  discover 
where  your  informant  learned  her  diplomacy.  Perhaps 
you  will  not  then  so  readily  give  credence  to  her  words, 
even  though  the  proofs  seem  so  convincing." 


216  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

As  a  result  of  the  conference  Tom's  confinement  was 
made  as  light  as  possible.  In  fact,  so  little  credence  did 
the  king  give  to  the  accusation,  that  he  would  have 
released  Tom  but  for  fear  of  offending  Lord  Aukland, 
whose  connections  abroad  were  very  powerful.  As  it 
was,  Tom  was  allowed  to  have  his  servant  with  him, 
which  meant  much,  for  Jackey  was  good  company 
and  Tom  was  rejoiced  to  see  him. 

"Nice  and  cool  here,"  he  said  after  looking  about 
the  room  in  which  Tom  was  confined,  "but  the  skeeto 
bars  am  berry  wide." 

Tom  could  not  help  smiling  as  he  replied: 

"Those  are  only  to  keep  out  the  big  bugs.  Little 
fellows  like  me  get  in  easily." 

"But  not  out,"  said  the  black.  Then  after  a  few 
moments  pause:  "But  why  come  here?  Jackey  said 
not  to  wait.  Plenty  room  in  bush.  No  ketch  Mister 
Tom  dere." 

"But,  Jackey,  I  have  not  done  anything  wrong;  why 
should  I  run  away .'" 

"Ever  hunt  kangaroo.  Mister  Tom." 

"Yes." 

"Ever  see  kangaroo  run.?" 

"Oh,  yes." 

"Kangaroo  never  done  no  wrong,  too;  but  kangaroo 
not  stand  still  and  be  shot." 

"But  that  is  different.  A  kangaroo  will  run  from  a 
man  whether  he  is  trying  to  shoot  it  or  not.  A  kanga- 
roo is  afraid  of  men." 

Jackey  grinned.  "Kangaroo  got  much  sense.  Kan- 
garoo know  men." 

Tom  made  no  reply  and  for  several  minutes  sat  lost 


BLESSINGS  IN  DISGUISE  217 

in  thought  while  Jackey  tidied  up  the  room  and  un- 
packed a  bag  of  clean  Hnen. 

"And  that  kind  of  man,"  he  said  to  himself,  "seems 
to  be  the  only  kind  the  most  of  us  know.  Oh,  for  a 
better  knowledge!" 

While  he  mused,  footsteps  were  heard  upon  the 
stone  floor  without  and  presently  the  door  was  opened 
to  admit  two  visitors — Lady  Judith  and  John  Winslow. 

"We  came  to  bring  you  something  we  thought  you 
might  want,"  said  the  young  marchioness  as  they 
entered.  "You  have  neglected  them  too  much  of 
late."  And  she  laid  upon  the  table  a  black  leather 
case  in  which  were  two  little  books.  "This  is  your 
opportunity  to  obey  the  command  to  search  the  Scrip- 
tures." 

"And  remember  also  that  man's  extremity  is  like- 
wise God's  opportunity,"  said  John. 

"Jackey  was  just  giving  me  a  bit  of  advice,"  said 
Tom,  "and  I  could  but  think  that  after  all  our  search- 
ing of  the  Scriptures,  how  few  of  us  have  any  higher 
idea  of  man  than  this  poor  black,  who  sees  in  him  only 
something  to  be  feared." 

"Which  makes  quite  clear,"  declared  John,  "the 
teaching  that  we  shall  never  really  know  what  man  is, 
until  we  realize  what  God  is. 

"But,"  continued  John,  "we  want  to  help  you  out 
of  here  and  that  right  speedily.  The  duke  has  told  us 
of  the  cabinet  meeting  and  we  want  to  know  more  about 
this  claim  of  error.  Is  it  malicious  or  ignorant,  do  you 
think  r 

"I  want  to  be  charitable,"  replied  Tom,  "but  I  am 
sure  it  is  malicious." 


218  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"And  what  cause  is  there  for  maHce?" 

"None, — except — except — well,  except — perhaps — " 

"Out  with  it,"  said  John. 

Tom's  face  grew  very  red  and  he  wiped  away  the 
perspiration  with  his  handkerchief. 

"Except — well,  except  disappointment,"  he  finally 
blurted  out. 

"Disappointment?"  queried  John.  "Disappoint- 
ment about  what  ?" 

"About  me — about  herself,"  exclaimed  John. 

Lady  Judith  turned  and  gazed  out  through  the 
grated  window.  It  was  a  severe  test  of  her  faith;  but 
she  had  given  her  word  and  as  best  she  could  she  tried 
to  realize  that  evil  has  no  power. 

"And  is  there  any  cause  for  this  disappointment,  as 
you  call  it  ?     I  mean  on  your  part }"  insisted  John. 

"As  I  hope  for  heaven,  Mr.  Winslow,  there  is  not. 
She  may  think  other^vise;  but  this  is  the  truth." 

"And  the  truth  about  anything  is  all  there  is  about 
anything,"  replied  John,  "no  matter  what  anyone  may 
think  to  the  contrary.  But  you  have  a  work  to  do, 
and  this  is  the  place  to  do  it.  Learn  to  say  with  the 
Master  when  he  was  persecuted  even  to  the  cross: 
'Father,  forgive  them;  for  they  know  not  what  they  do.' 
It  will  be  easy  for  you  to  do  this,  for  it  must  be  clear 
to  you  that  it  is  true." 

Lady  Judith  turned  from  the  window  and  drew 
near  the  speaker,  while  Tom  bowed  his  head  in  his 
hands  as  John  proceeded: 

"When  you  think  that  malice  is  urging  some  one  to 
injure  you,  you  are  giving  malice  power.  But  if  you 
will  separate  malice  from  personality  and  know  it  for 


BLESSINGS  IN  DISGUISE  219 

what  it  is — a  nonentity,  because  not  of  God — ^you  will 
break  its  seeming  power  and  destroy  it,  not  only  in 
your  own  consciousness,  but  in  the  consciousness  of 
others." 

Tom  made  no  reply.  His  bowed  head  and  evident 
grief  were  indicative  of  the  struggle  going  on  within 
him.  Seeing  him  thus  Lady  Judith  was  moved  by 
a  great  pity  to  exclaim: 

"But,  oh,  Mr.  Winslow,  it  does  seem  so  real!" 

"Just  as  all  sin  seems  real  until  we  get  near  enough 
to  God — infinite  good,  to  perceive  its  unreality,"  was 
John's  emphatic  reply. 

Then  for  a  minute  he  paused,  desiring  to  so  express 
himself  that  he  would  be  perfectly  understood.  At 
length  he  said: 

"To  erring  human  sense,  sin  is  very  real;  but,  from 
the  very  nature  of  God,  sin  can  never  be  a  part  of  God's 
creation,  hence  not  real.  What  mortal  man  has  done, 
in  the  language  of  the  Scriptures,  is  to  seek  out  many 
inventions — and  sin  is  one  of  them." 

"And  all  this  trouble  is  the  result,  is  it  not,  Mr. 
Winslow.?"  asked  Lady  Judith. 

"It  certainly  is.  It  is  the  result  of  our  sense  of 
separation  from  God,  from  Truth  and  Love.  And  the 
only  way  to  free  ourselves  from  the  inharmony  of  sin, 
is  to  lose  this  sense  of  separation  by  regaining  a  per- 
fect realization  of  man's  unity  with  his  Father." 

"Do  you  think  I  can  ever  do  it  ?"  asked  Tom. 

"My  boy,"  replied  John,  "there  is  not  the  slightest 
doubt  of  it.  'Ask  and  ye  shall  receive,'  'Seek  and  ye 
shall  find,'  'Knock  and  it  shall  be  opened  unto  you.' 

"But  now  we  must  leave  you.     In  fact,  I  am  not 


220  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

sure  but  we  have  already  taken  up  time  which  you 
could  have  spent  more  profitably  alone.  I  have  told 
you  nothing  which  is  not  much  better  told  in  these 
books  which  Lady  Judith  has  brought  you." 

Tom  shook  hands  with  them  and  followed  them  to 
the  door.  When  he  turned  back  into  the  room  Jackey 
stood  by  the  table  intently  regarding  the  two  books 
which  nestled  so  lovingly  in  their  attractive  and  snug 
little  case. 

"Do  you  like  their  looks .^"  Tom  asked. 

Jackey  looked  first  at  Tom  and  then  at  the  books. 
Finally  he  said: 

"He  is  a  great  man." 

"You  mean  Mr.  Winslow.?" 

Jackey  nodded  his  head.     "He  can  tell  a  lot." 

"Yes,  Jackey,  he  can." 

"And  still  he  say  little  book  tell  it  better." 

"Yes,  I  think  that  is  true." 

For  several  moments  the  black  eyed  the  books 
silently  while  the  puzzled  expression  of  his  face  became 
more  pronounced.     Then  turning  to  Tom  he  said: 

"Jackey  not  hear  it  say  anything!  Mister  Tom 
make  the  books  talk  to  Jackey." 

Tom's  face  flushed  and  a  sense  of  his  ingratitude 
suddenly  came  upon  him  with  overwhelming  force. 
How  he  had  been  throwing  away  his  opportunities. 
How  he  had  turned  from  the  source  whence  he  could 
have  gained  that  understanding,  whose  power  even  this 
poor  savage  felt.  But  he  realized  that  it  was  not  yet 
too  late,  and  picking  up  the  case  he  removed  the 
two  little  volumes  as  he  said: 

"Jackey,  they  shall  talk  to  both  of  us." 


BLESSINGS  IN  DISGUISE  221 

And  talk  they  did.  For  hours  and  hours  from  that 
time  on,  Tom  read  and  explained  to  Jackey.  It  was 
just  the  opportunity  he  needed  to  put  aside  his  thought 
of  self  and  do  something  for  someone  else;  and  he  did 
it  willingly  and  gladly.  Because  for  many  years  Tom 
had  ceased  to  give,  he  had  almost  ceased  to  have  any 
of  that  understanding  which  is  necessary  for  growth  in 
grace;  but  now,  as  he  began  to  give,  he  began  to  receive 
abundantly,  and  in  a  few  days  he  had  regained  much 
that  he  seemed  to  have  lost.  It  came  to  him  as  a  new 
revelation,  and  as  he  drank  in  the  truth  in  great  draughts 
he  realized  as  never  before  how 

The  heart  grows  rich  in  giving 
All  its  wealth  is  living  grain; 
Seeds  which  mildew  in  the  garner. 
Scattered  fill  with  gold  the  plain. 

When  Lady  Judith  had  gone  down  to  dinner  that 
evening  it  had  been  with  a  sense  of  great  sadness,  not 
only  for  Tom,  but  more  especially  for  Sir  AUin  whom 
she  had  not  seen  since  he  left  Somerton  the  night  before. 
She  had  rather  dreaded  the  meeting,  expecting  to  see 
him  more  or  less  broken  by  the  shock;  and  in  her  mind 
she  was  comparing  his  grief  to  that  of  David  over 
Absalom.  What  was  her  surprise — although  she  ac- 
knowledged to  herself  that  she  should  have  expected  it 
— to  find  him  as  cheerful  as  though  nothing  unusual 
had  happened.  Later,  when  she  found  herself  tete-a- 
tete  with  him  in  a  quiet  nook,  she  had  told  of  her  visit 
to  Tom  and  how  pleased  he  seemed  to  receive  her  gift. 

"A  few  days  ago,"  exclaimed  Sir  AUin  joyfully, 
"he  would  have  looked  with  little  favor  upon  such  a 
gift.     What  a  blessing  this  promises  to  be,  although." 


222  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

he  continued  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye,  "I  must  say  it 
has  been  pretty  well  disguised." 

"But,  it  seems  so  hard  upon  you,  Sir  Allin,"  she 
declared  sympathetically. 

"Tut!  Tut!"  he  replied  with  gentle  gravity.  "K 
what  blesses  one  blesses  all,  I  shall  receive  my  blessing 
along  with  the  rest.  Who  can  tell  where  it  may  end. 
One  perfect  demonstration  of  the  truth  may  be  the 
means  of  bringing  many  into  the  light." 

After  she  returned  to  her  room  that  night  Lady 
Judith  had  thought  long  and  earnestly  upon  Sir  Allin's 
words. 

"Was  it  true,"  she  wondered,  "that  what  blesses 
one  blesses  all."  She  could  feel  in  Tom's  case  that 
whatever  blessed  him  would  bless  his  whole  family — 
and  in  this  she  mentally  included  herself — but  she 
could  not  see  that  it  would  or  could  go  much  further. 

Then  suddenly  came  to  her  mind  the  woman  to  whom 
she  was  attributing  all  of  Tom's  trouble — whether  justly 
or  unjustly  she  had  not  stopped  to  consider. 

"How  can  any  blessing  that  may  come  to  Tom  bless 
Lady  Gay  Beckworth .'^"  she  asked  herself.  "Surely 
Tom's  acquittal  must  bring  disgrace  upon  her,  while 
his  change  of  heart  would  take  him  completely  from 
under  her  influence." 

It  was  a  hard  problem.  The  more  she  studied  it 
the  less  light  she  seemed  to  get.  But  suddenly  another 
and  a  more  startling  thought  came  into  her  mind. 

"Suppose  Tom  should  not  be  cleared.  Suppose 
Lady  Gay  were  giving  truthful  information." 

But  this  could  not  be.  To  this  extent  Lady  Judith 
f-elt  sure  of  Tom.     Was  it  not  possible,  however,  that 


BLESSINGS  IN  DISGUISE  223 

Lady  Gay  had  suflBcient  false  testimony  at  hand  to 
sustain  her  charge.     She  felt  that  she  must  know. 

Then  she  recalled  her  visit  to  Tom,  and  John  Win- 
slow's  words  that  the  putting  of  malice  out  of  one's 
own  thoughts  would  help  to  destroy  it  in  the  minds  of 
others.  She  would  stop  thinking  hard  things  about 
Lady  Beckworth.  She  would  even  try  to  be  friendly 
with  her.     She  would  go  and  call  upon  her. 

With  this  thought  in  her  mind  she  retired  for  the 
night  and  awoke  in  the  morning  with  an  even  stronger 
determination  to  this  end.  She  would  go  to  Lady 
Beckworth  and  see  if  she  could  not  induce  her  to  tell 
the  truth  about  Tom.  If  she  would  not — well,  then 
Lady  Judith  had  not  exactly  made  up  her  mind  what 
she  would  do;  but  it  would  be  something  forcible. 

The  meeting  between  the  two  women  was  just  about 
what  might  have  been  expected. 

"This  is  indeed  a  most  agreeable  surprise,"  ex- 
claimed Lady  Beckworth  as  she  greeted  Lady  Judith 
in  the  little  private  reception-room  whither  she  had 
given  orders  to  have  her  guest  conducted.  "I  do  not 
think  I  have  seen  you  since  you  were  a  girl.  I  have 
been  so  retired  since  the  count's  death  that  I  have 
almost  lost  sight  of  many  I  once  knew." 

"Yes,  it  has  been  some  time  since  we  met,"  replied 
Lady  Judith  greatly  at  a  loss  to  know  how  to  proceed. 
"But  I  trust  we  may  see  more  of  each  other  from  now 
on.     I  am  trying  to  broaden  my  sphere  oi  usefulness." 

"And  to  what  new  line  of  work  am  I  indebted  for 
this  call .''"  asked  Lady  Beckworth  elevating  her  eye- 
brows. 

Little  fortified  as  she  was  with  the  understanding 


224  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

which  comes  through  the  illumination  of  Truth  and 
Love,  Lady  Judith  found  it  utterly  impossible  to  say 
the  thing  she  felt  she  ought.  The  feeling  of  resentment 
was  still  uppermost,  and  she  exclaimed  proudly: 

"I  have  come  as  a  matter  of  justice,  to  ask  you  to 
speak  the  truth  and  withdraw  the  accusation  you  have 
made." 

Lady  Beckworth  feigned  a  look  of  the  utmost  sur- 
prise. 

"Accusation  I  have  made!"  she  exclaimed.  "I  do 
not  understand.     Accusation  against  whom?" 

"You  know  very  well, "replied  Lady  Judith  haughtily. 

Lady  Beckworth  laughed  sarcastically. 

"I  am  not  a  mind  reader,"  she  declared. 

"I  had  hoped  not  to  mention  nanaes,"  said  Lady 
Judith,  "but  if  I  must,  I  will.  I  mean  your  accusation 
against  the  son  of  Sir  Allin  Strong." 

"Oh,  Tom,"  exclaimed  Lady  Gay  indifferently. 
"Poor  silly  boy.  But  how  could  I  help  accusing  him 
of  insincerity  when  he  is  so  frivolous." 

"  Insincerity !  Frivolous !"  gasped  Lady  Judith  utter- 
ly at  a  loss  to  comprehend  the  older  woman's  subtlety. 
"I  do  not  understand." 

Again  Lady  Beckworth  feigned  surprise. 

"I  think  I,  too,  must  be  in  the  dark,"  she  said.  "I 
thought  you  came  as  a  friend  of  Tom  to  get  me  to 
change  my  opinion  of  him — to  accept  him  again  into 
my  good  gr.ices.  But  he  ought  to  know  I  never 
could  marry  him — I  am  much  too  old.  You  would 
make  him  a  better  wife." 

Lady  Judith  was  completely  dumbfounded.  She 
seemed  to  have  lost  the  power  to  think.     That  anyone 


BLESSINGS  IN  DISGUISE  225 

could  stoop  to  such  deceit  or  become  so  consummate  an 
actress  off  the  stage  never  occurred  to  her.  How  she 
left  the  house  she  never  knew.  All  she  could  remember 
as  she  rode  homeward  was  the  sound  of  Lady  Beck- 
worth's  tantalizing  laughter  as  she  left  her  at  the  door. 

Arriving  at  Oxley  House  the  first  person  she 
encountered  as  she  entered  the  hall  was  Lucy.  The 
sight  of  her  loving  face  was  like  sparkling  water  to 
Lady  Judith's  thirsty  heart  and  burying  her  face  on 
Lucy's  shoulder  the  young  marchioness  poured  forth 
her  misery  in  broken  sobs. 

Clear  sighted  as  she  was,  it  took  Lucy  some  moments 
to  calm  the  young  woman  sufiiciently  to  enable  her  to 
explain  coherently  what  was  the  matter.  When  at 
length  Lucy  did  comprehend,  she  at  once  saw  the  false- 
hood for  what  it  was. 

"My  dear  child,"  she  said  in  a  voice  of  encourage- 
ment, "do  you  not  see  it  is  all  an  untruth.  You  have 
gone  out  against  the  Philistine  armed  with  a  sword  and 
armour  which  you  have  not  proved,  and  have  met  with 
certain  defeat.  How  much  wiser,  had  you  taken  only 
the  shepherd's  sling  of  love." 

"But  how  can  anyone  speak  and  act  such  a  lie," 
sobbed  Lady  Judith. 

"The  ways  of  the  erring  human  mind  are  past 
finding  out;  but  your  keen  sense  of  right  and  wrong, 
and  your  diplomatic  training  should  have  enabled  you 
to  detect  the  deceit." 

"I  see  it  all  now,"  declared  Lady  Judith,  drying  her 
eyes.  "  It  is  I  who  am  at  fault.  I  thought  I  was  going 
to  see  her  in  the  right  spirit,  but  it  was  just  my  pride 
that  was  impelling  me.     How  I  have  been  humbled." 


226  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"  'Purge  me  with  hyssop,  and  I  shall  be  clean,'  " 
quoted  Lucy.  "  'Wash  me  and  I  shall  be  whiter  than 
snow.'  This  cleansing  process  is  sometimes  trying 
but  its  pains  are  most  salutary.  They  show  us  the 
folly  of  human  wisdom  as  nothing  else  can,  and  lead 
us  into  the  true  understanding  of  heaven — eternal 
harmony." 


CHAPTER  VII 


SOWING   THE   WIND 


Seated  at  the  breakfast  table  in  a  quiet  apartment  in 
a  Chicago  hotel,  the  Honorable  George  Lytton  Benton, 
M.  P.,  had  just  finished  reading  an  interesting  item  of 
news. 

"A  serious  condition  of  affairs  this,"  he  said  to  his 
valet-secretary  as  he  laid  down  the  newspaper  and 
buttered  a  roll.  "The  Journal  predicts,  from  what 
could  be  gleaned  in  ah  interview  a  reporter  had  with 
Mr.  Benton,  the  former  prime  minister  of  Guelph,  and 
from  a  remark  inadvertently  dropped  by  his  secretary, 
that  there  is  grave  danger  in  the  Orient — ^far  more 
grave  than  any  that  may  arise  through  the  Mongolian 
races.     Did  I  say  that,  Saunders  ?" 

The  valet  at  once  became  the  private  secretary. 

"I  am  sure,  sir,  that  you  said  nothing  that  would 
warrant  such  a  construction — and  of  course  you  know 
how  discreet  I  am." 

"No  one  could  be  more  so.  The  Journal  seems  to 
think  otherwise,  however,  and  suggests  that '  such  action 
be  taken  by  the  great  powers  as  will  leave  no  doubt  in 
the  mind  of  the  Guelphian  King  Albert  as  to  what 
would  happen  to  the  young  kingdom,  in  case  it  were 
foolish  enough  to  commit  any  overt  act.* 

"Pretty  bad,  eh,  Saunders?" 
227 


828  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"It  is  indeed,  sir.  Do  you  think  I  had  better  ask 
them  to  correct  the  statement  ?" 

"I  think  perhaps  you  had,  and  if  they  decline  to 
make  th^  correction  you  will  doubtless  have  oppor- 
tunity to  make  it  eijewhere."  Then  as  the  telephone 
bell  rang:  "I  think  the  opportunity  has  already 
arrived." 

It  was  as  Benton  had  surmised,  and  upon  his  request 
to  the  hotel  office,  a  reporter  from  the  Evening  News 
was  at  once  shown  to  the  apartment. 

''Toi:  will  pardon  me  if  I  finish  my  breakfast,"  said 
Mr.  Benton  to  the  young  man.  "I  travel  very  simply 
and  have  but  a  small  apartment;  but  we  can  talk  quite 
as  well  while  I  finish  my  coffee,  Saunders,"  to  his 
valet,  "won't  you  pass  Mr — ?" 

"Martin,"  prompted  the  reporter. 

" — Mr.  Martin  the  cigars.  Of  course  you  have 
breakfasted  ?  You  young  gentlemen  of  the  press  are 
such  active  fellows.  I  certainly  admire  the  American 
newspaper  man," 

Mr.  Martin  acknowledged  the  compliment  becom- 
ingly and  asked  that  he  might  be  excused  from  smoking. 

"Certainly,  Mr.  Martin.  Certainly.  Put  it  in  your 
pocket  and  smoke  it  at  your  leisure.  And,  as  I  know 
you  are  in  a  hurry,  what  can  I  do  for  you  ?" 

"I  think  perhaps  you  know  better  than  I,"  replied 
the  reporter.  "I  see  you  have  been  reading  the 
Journal." 

*'Oh,  yes,"  laughed  Benton,  "and  my  secretary,  Mr. 
Saunders,  was  just  asking  if  I  did  not  think  he  had 
better  correct  it.  I  am  sure  that  I  said  nothing  that 
could  be  so  construed.     Do  you  think  so,  Saunders  ?" 


SOWING  THE  WIND  229 

"Certainly  not." 

"How  about  your  secretary?"  inquired  Mr.  Martin. 

Mr.  Benton  looked  a^  Saunders  severely. 

"Do  you  think  it  possible,  Saunders,  that  you  could 
have  given  out  any  such  impression?" 

Saunders  colored  as  he  replied  hesitatingly:  "I  do 
not  think  so.     I-  I-  certainly  did  not  intend  to." 

The  reporter  looked  wise  as  Mr.  Benton  said  sternly: 
"Remember,  Saunders,  that  you  cannot  be  too  guarded 
— you  know  your  failing — and  in  our  present  unofficial 
position  we  are  so  likely  to  be  misunderstood.  I  have 
cautioned  you  before." 

Then  to  the  reporter:  "I  trust,  Mr.  Martin,  that  you 
will  not  repeat,  even  to  your  chief,  this  little  warning  I 
have  given  my  secretary.  I  must  confess  I  am  a  bit 
annoyed.  But  I  wish  to  deny  emphatically  that  there 
is  any  desire  on  the  part  of  the  people  of  Guelph  to 
cause  the  slightest  break  in  the  peace  of  the  world.  Of 
course  you  understand  that  I  do  not  speak  for  the 
government." 

Then,  as  an  after-thought:  "You  are  familiar  with 
our  form  of  government  ?" 

"I  think  so." 

"You  will  understand  me  then,  when  I  say  that  it 
is  the  so-called  conservative  party  that  is  now  in  power; 
but  to  me  this  conservatism  means  the  clinging  to  old 
ideas.  I  am  a  radical.  I  believe  in  extending  the 
right  hand  of  good  will  to  all  nations.  That  was  my 
policy.     Competition  is  the  life  of  commerce." 

"I  am  sure  our  people  will  be  pleased  to  hear  that," 
declared  the  reporter.  "And  what  do  you  understand 
to  be  the  policy  of  the  present  government?" 


230  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

Mr.  Benton  smiled  as  he  lighted  a  cigar.  "I  should 
not  care  to  discuss  it,  especially  at  this  distance  from 
home.  But,"  and  he  threw  away  the  match,  "our 
party  was  defeated  at  the  recent  election  because  of  its 
foreign  policy.     That  should  answer  your  question." 

The  reporter  arose  to  take  his  departure. 

"Of  course  politics  is  politics,"  continued  Mr.  Benton, 
"and  as  I  am  not  now  in  the  confidence  of  the  king, 
you  can  see  that  I  know  absolutely  nothing  about  the 
present  governmental  policy.  But,  speaking  for  the 
people,  I  can  assure  you  we  are  a  satisfied  and  peace- 
able nation  and  will  disturb  no  one — as  long  as  we  are 
let  alone." 

After  the  reporter  had  taken  his  leave,  turning  to 
his  secretary,  Mr.  Benton  remarked:  "I  am  sure  no 
denial  of  any  warlike  intention  by  the  people  of  Guelph 
could  have  been  more  emphatic.  You  may  say  the 
same  to  the  Journal  representative  when  he  calls 
again.     I  shall  be  unable  to  see  him." 

There  was  a  knock  at  the  door.  Saunders  opened  it 
and  received  a  cablegram  from  a  messenger  boy. 

"Blucher's  daily  report,"  said  Benton  tearing  open 
the  envelope,  and  glancing  at  the  signature. 

The  message  was  in  cipher  and  for  some  time  he 
was  busy  reading  it.  As  he  slowly  deciphered  its  con- 
tents, however,  an  expression  almost  satanic  in  its 
malignity,  spread  itself  over  his  countenance,  but  grad- 
ually gave  way  to  a  smile  of  satisfaction  as  he  muttered 
to  himself: 

"Well  done,  Blucher.  Well  done.  Lady  Gay.  Do 
as  well  ten  days  hence  and  I  shall  be  master  of  Guelph." 

Then  aloud:  "I  think  we  shall  have  plenty  of  news- 


SOWING  THE  WIND  231 

paper  callers  before  long.  Young  Allin,  a  protege  of 
the  prime  minister,  has  been  arrested  for  treason." 

"Treason!"  exclaimed  Saunders. 

"Yes.  It  appears  he  has  been  furnishing  Vaalmara 
with  plans  of  our  harbor  defenses." 

Saunders  looked  at  Mr.  Benton  from  under  his  eye- 
brows, but  said  nothing. 

"Of  course,  if  anyone  asks  you,"  said  Benton,  "you 
know  nothing  about  this.  It  is  news  to  us — ^you 
understand  ?" 

"Perfectly." 

"If  any  more  messages  come  for  me  be  sure  they  are 
carefully  guarded,  till  my  return.  I  have  an  engage- 
ment to  lunch  with  the  president  of  the  Peace  society 
and  some  friends.  I  trust  they  will  not  ask  too  many 
pointed  questions." 

Whatever  the  other  failings  of  the  Honoiable  George 
Lytton  Benton  no  one  ever  accused  him  of  inaction. 
Before  everything  else  he  was  a  man  of  the  greatest 
activity.  When  once  he  had  started  out  to  accomplish 
a  given  task  he  never  allowed  himself  any  rest  until  it 
was  finished.  Therefore,  having  determined  to  make 
all  the  trouble  possible  for  the  government  of  Guelph, 
he  devoted  his  time  to  this  work  with  the  greatest 
energy.  As  has  been  seen  in  the  foregoing  interview, 
he  allowed  no  occasion  for  creating  an  erroneous 
impression  regarding  the  government  to  pass  unheeded, 
and  he  never  spoke  a  word  about  its  policies  without 
giving  an  impression  that  it  was  possessed  of  unwar- 
ranted arrogance.  Nevertheless,  he  was  so  guarded  in 
his  language,  that  it  would  have  been  impossible  to 
have  put  your  finger  upon  a  single  utterance  which. 


232  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

like  those  of  the  oracle  at  Delphi,  was  not  capable  of  a 
double  meaning. 

Of  conditions  in  Guelph,  Benton  was  also  kept 
thoroughly  posted  as  we  have  seen,  and  while  he 
understood  that  his  emissaries  were  working  solely  for 
what  they  could  get  out  of  him  and  not  for  love  or 
glory,  he  did  not  care.  Money  was  nothing  to  Benton 
except  for  what  it  would  buy — and  he  was  never  happier 
than  when  buying  men.  As  Pope  has  said:  "A  mighty 
hunter  was  he,  and  his  prey  was  man." 

The  one  thing  that  Benton  craved  was  power;  but 
he,  better  than  any  man  with  less  wealth,  realized  that 
the  power  of  money  was  limited.  He  had  been  given  a 
striking  proof  of  this  in  his  recent  defeat.  Now  he 
was  attempting  to  use  a  still  more  subtle  power — the 
power  of  falsehood,  whose  impotence  he  was  yet 
to  learn. 

"Next  to  the  absolute  truth,"  he  had  once  told  an 
intimate  friend,  "the  greatest  power  is  the  cleverest 
lie,"  and  he  was  now  working  on  that  theory. 

There  is  no  class  of  men  in  the  world  who  are  so 
easily  deceived  for  a  time  as  the  reporters  for  the  press. 
Their  anxiety  to  get  every  scrap  of  information,  makes 
them  easy  prey  for  one  in  whom  they  have  confidence; 
and  while  they  cannot  long  be  deceived,  it  is  easy  for 
a  prominent  personage,  as  he  passes  through  a  city, 
to  give  out  falsehoods  which  are  reported  as  gospel 
truths.  Thus  it  was  that  Benton  worked.  Always 
affable,  he  never  gave  out  absolute  information,  pro- 
fessing reluctance;  but  he  aroused  the  reportorial  curi- 
osity, and  the  valet-secr'^tary  seemingly  let  slip  the 
news. 


SOWING  THE  WIND  233 

It  was  several  hours  after  his  interview  with  Reporter 
Martin,  that  Mr.  Benton  found  himself  in  the  company 
of  a  small  gathering  of  men  and  women  whose  earnest 
and  intellectual  faces  gave  evidence  of  the  deep  purpose 
of  good  which  animated  them.  Outside,  a  December 
storm  raged  in  all  the  fierceness  of  a  northern  winter; 
but  inside,  there  was  warmth,  cordiality  and  expres- 
sions of  good  will.  It  was  approaching  Christmas,  and 
the  very  atmosphere  of  the  large  homelike  mansion 
was  redolent  with  the  spirit  of  the  season.  The  little 
company  had  lingered  unusually  long  at  luncheon,  and 
the  gathering  shadows,  without,  but  added  by  the 
contrast,  to  the  cheerfulness  of  the  brilliantly  lighted 
interior. 

As  the  party  came  in  from  the  dining  room  Mr. 
Benton  stopped  for  a  moment  to  admire  a  large  repro- 
duction of  the  famous  painting  of  Washington  resign- 
ing his  commission  as  commander-in-chief.  Turning 
from  this,  after  a  moment's  inspection,  he  was  con- 
fronted by  a  portrait  of  Abraham  Lincoln.  Intuitively 
he  turned  to  note  the  classic  face  of  the  great  general 
and  compare  it  with  the  rugged  and  lined  features  of 
the  still  greater  emancipator.  For  several  moments  he 
stood  thus,  busy  with  his  thoughts,  when  his  reverie 
was  interrupted  by  a  voice  at  his  elbow: 

"Truly  a  wonderful  face,  is  it  not,  Mr.  Benton?" 

"It  is,  indeed,"  he  replied  without  turning. 

"And  still  not  so  wonderful  as  the  heart  which 
inspired  that  loving  utterance:  'With  malice  toward 
none,  with  charity  for  all.'  " 

Benton  started  as  though  just  awakening.  Turning 
to  note  the  speaker  he  found  himself  addressing  a 


234  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

fair-faced  woman,  whose  age  he  could  only  surmise 
from  her  wealth  of  iron  gray  hair,  but  whether  it  were 
tinged  by  time  or  otherwise  he  was  at  a  loss  to  deter- 
mine.    Seeing  he  hesitated  for  a  reply  she  said: 

"Being  interested  in  peace,  you  are  of  course  familiar 
with  the  sentiment?" 

"Yes,  but  I  do  not  think  it  ever  before  came  to  me 
with  such  force,  Mrs.  — " 

"Miss,"  she  said.     "Miss  Dorothy  Howerton." 

"You  are  a  member  of  the  peace  society,  I  judge 
from  your  remark,  as  well  as  from  meeting  you  at  this 
gathering?"  he  interrogated. 

"I  am  a  member  of  that  great  peace  society  which 
was  founded  by  the  Nazarene." 

A  cynical  smile  rested  on  his  lips  as  he  replied: 
"You  surprise  me.  I  thought  Jesus  said  he  came  not 
to  send  peace  but  a  sword." 

"True.  The  sword  of  truth  which  destroys  error, 
inharmony,  war,  and  brings  that  lasting  peace  which 
finds  its  permanency  in  the  fatherhood  of  God  and  the 
brotherhood  of  man." 

He  looked  at  her  in  surprise. 

"Your  church  must  be  a  bit  heterodox,"  he  said. 

"Possibly  so.  You  are  familiar,  I  suppose,  with  the 
epigrammatic  definition  of  the  word  ?" 

"I  cannot  say  that  I  am." 

Dorothy  laughed  as  she  replied:  "I  do  not  recall  who 
first  said  it,  but  it  is  to  the  effect  that  orthodoxy  is  what 
I  believe  and  heterodoxy  what  others  believe." 

"Very  well  put,  whoever  said  it,"  he  laughed.  "But 
really  I  am  interested  in  knowing  the  name  of  your 
church." 


SOWING  THE  WIND  235 

*'I  can  assure  you  it  is  no  secret.  I  am  a  Christian 
Scientist — at  least  I  am  trying  to  be." 

"The   denomination   is   not   particularly   strong   in 
Guelph,  I  think." 

"No,  the  field  has  not  as  yet  been  very  fruitful.  You 
know  in  some  places  that  Jesus  visited  he  did  not  many 
mighty  works  because  of  their  unbelief." 

"You  are  severe  on  Guelph,  Miss  Howerton." 

"Oh,  not  at  all.  I  simply  suggest  a  condition  of 
thought." 

"I  had  always  understood  that  Christian  Science 
was  simply  a  faith  cure  for  the  sick." 

"You  mean  the  physically  sick,  I  presume?** 

"Certainly.  Although  I  would  include  mental 
diseases,  which  to  me  are  simply  the  result  of  disordered 
physical  conditions." 

"Physical  healing,"  replied  Dorothy,  seeing  that  her 
companion  was  interested  in  the  subject,  "is  but  the 
beginning  of  the  work  that  Christian  Science  is  doing. 
The  great  work  is  the  healing  of  sin,  which  brings  not 
only  physical  disease,  but  inharmony  of  all  kinds.  The 
healing  of  war  and  the  bringing  of  peace  is  another 
great  part  of  this  healing  work.  You  should  read  Mrs. 
Eddy's  works  to  fully  understand  what  I  mean.  In 
her  Miscellaneous  Writings  this  thought  is  especially 
brought  out." 

"It  seems  to  me,"  declared  Mr.  Benton  with  consider- 
able energy,  "that  you  would  make  a  most  valuable 
member  of  the  Peace  Society." 

Dorothy  laughed:  "Did  I  not  tell  you  I  was  a  member 
of  a  peace  society;  for  so  I  consider  the  Christian  Science 
organization.       Every    worthy   Christian   Scientist  is 


236  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

trying  to  follow  consistently  in  the  footsteps  of  Christ 
Jesus,  the  truth  of  whose  teaching  must  eventually 
bring  universal  peace  because  it  brings  peace  to  each 
individual. 

"It  takes  men  to  make  nations,"  continued  Dorothy. 
"When  the  brotherhood  of  man  is  established — when 
the  perfect  man  appears — the  nations  will  melt  with 
fervent  heat  into  one  great  family  and  the  occasion  of 
war  will  cease." 

"I  am  not  sure  that  I  understand  your  philosophy, 
but  your  theories  interest  me,  Miss  Howerton." 

"If  you  have  not  studied  the  question  from  this 
viewpoint,  I  am  not  surprised  that  you  do  not  under- 
stand," said  Dorothy.  "Mortal  man  is  at  best  but  a 
big  interrogation  point.  He  is  continually  asking  him- 
self: Who  am  I.^  What  am  I.'  Where  am  I.^^  Out- 
side of  divine  science  he  cannot  find  the  answer." 

Their  conversation  was  interrupted  by  the  appear- 
ance of  President  Daniels  and  several  guests. 

"Miss  Howerton  has  been  giving  me  some  hints  as 
to  how  best  to  bring  about  peace,"  remarked  Mr.  Benton. 

"Her  views  are  worth  considering,"  said  President 
Daniels,  "although  we  are  working  along  somewhat 
different  lines.  W^e  are  trying  to  help  by  bringing  about 
more  general  arbitration.  We  are  also  trying  to  do 
away  with  the  further  invention  of  war-like  devices — 
devices  made  for  the  sole  purpose  of  destruction  ' 

"It  is  surely  a  step  in  the  right  direction,"  declared 
Dorothy.  "I  remember  when  I  was  a  girl  of  going  to 
see  the  newly  invented  airships,  then  giving  their  first 
practical  demonstrations  at  Fort  Meyer.  I  remember 
then  of  thinking  how  sad  that  the  first  use  of  these 


SOWING  THE  WIND  237 

ships  should  be  for  war,  and  for  me  they  suddenly  lost 
their  charm." 

"And  still,"  said  Mr.  Benton,  "war  seems  the  only 
means  of  destroying  certain  evils." 

"One  evil  can  never  destroy  another  evil,"  replied 
Dorothy.  "It  may  absorb  it,  but  any  attempt  of  this 
kind  is  simply  an  exemplification  of  the  story  of  the 
one  devil  who  returned  with  seven  other  devils;  'and 
the  condition  of  that  man,'  said  Jesus,  'was  worse  than 
before.'  To  bring  harmony  on  earth,  it  is  necessary 
simply  to  realize  that  perfect  harmony,  which  has  always 
existed  in  the  one  Mind;  not  to  see  a  lot  of  evil  which 
seemingly  needs  destroying,  but  to  perceive  infinite 
good  and  to  become  positive,  not  negative,  in  our 
thoughts.  Just  so  long  as  we  see  things  as  destructible, 
just  so  long  will  we  want  to  destroy. 

"The  very  nature  of  mortal  mind  is  to  destroy,  not 
only  what  some  other  power  has  created,  but  even  its 
own  so-called  creations.  It  is  the  nature  of  divine 
Mind  to  create  and  protect.  It  is  just  the  difference 
between  hatred  and  love,  the  latter  being  that  quality 
of  Mind  which  continually  and  eternally  contains  and 
sustains  each  of  its  ideas  in  their  perfection,  thereby 
forming  perfect  protection.  Against  such  love,  human, 
erring  will  is  powerless,  and  before  it  human  hatred, 
with  its  accompanying  wars,  must  fall." 

"You  have  suggested  new  lines  of  thought.  Miss 
Howerton,  which  I  shall  certainly  remember.  Per- 
haps if  this  thought  had  taken  deeper  root  among  our 
people,  they  would  now  be  planning  peace  instead  of 
more  warships." 

Then,  as  though  he  had  unintentionally  voiced  a 


238  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

secret,  he  explained:  "I  do  not  know  as  I  should  say 
that  our  people  are  thinking  war;  but  of  course  you  all 
know  that  the  present  prime  minister  is  not  such  an 
advocate  of  peace  as  we  could  wish." 

"I  do  hope,"  exclaimed  President  Daniels,  "that 
Guelph  will  take  no  backward  steps." 

"I  trust  not."  replied  the  former  premier,  "but  the 
Duke  of  Lackland  is  very  ambitious.  Urged  on  by 
his  confidential  adviser.  Sir  Allin  Strong,  it  will  not  be 
surprising  if  he  is  led  to  commit  some  folly." 

At  the  mention  of  Sir  Allin's  name,  there  came  to 
Dorothy's  mind  the  picture  of  a  dark -faced  lad,  whose 
untrained  thought  had  caused  her  many  unpleasant 
hours,  and  she  started  to  speak  a  word  of  criticism. 
Fearing,  however,  that  she  might  be  judging  unright- 
eous judgment,  she  hesitated  and  another  member  of 
the  party  exclaimed: 

"Bad  counsellors  are  the  curse  of  kings;  may  they 
not  also  be  called  the  same  of  prime  ministers  ?" 

"They  may,"  replied  Mr.  Benton.  "For  my  part  I 
never  could  understand  how  the  Duke  of  Lackland 
could  be  so  influenced.  My  recollection  is,  however, 
that  the  two  men  were  brought  together  by  a  country- 
man of  yours — Mr.  Winslow — when  he  was  in  Guelph 
on  a  diplomatic  mission." 

Now  Dorothy  was  glad  that  she  had  controlled  her 
tongue,  for  she  felt  certain  that  if  John  Winslow 
approved  of  Allin,  there  could  be  little  to  criticise. 

"I  understand  that  Mr.  Winslow  has  just  gone  to 
Guelph  again,"  remarked  Mr.  Daniels.  "I  saw  a  brief 
interview  with  him  in  a  San  Francisco  newspaper  the 
day  he  sailed.     His  trip  is  purely  one  of  pleasure  the 


SOWING  THE  WIND  239 

article  stated,  but  he  is  desirous  of  seeing  how  the  visit 
of  the  international  fleets  will  be  received.  You  know 
he  is  opposed  to  the  display." 

"He  is  wrong,"  declared  Benton.  "The  stronger 
the  display  the  better  for  all  parties  concerned." 

"Do  you  think  it  will  prove  to  your  countrymen 
and  the  world  anything  they  do  not  know?"  asked 
Dorothy. 

"I  cannot  say  that  it  will;  but  seeing,  you  know,  is 
believing." 

"And  believing  wrongly,  oft  times,"  replied  Dorothy. 
"It  is  only  the  perception  that  is  enlightened  by  spirit- 
uality— right  thinking — that  avails." 

"Well,"  replied  Mr.  Benton,  "I  know  of  nothing  that 
will  cause  more  correct  thinking  about  the  wisdom  of 
war,  than  the  display  of  a  great  fleet  of  warships." 

"On  whose  part?"  asked  Mr.  Daniels.  "Surely  war 
would  look  very  wise  to  the  nation  possessing  the  biggest 
fleet.  This,  I  suppose,  is  where  the  two  power  idea 
comes  in." 

Benton  looked  a  bit  embarrassed  as  he  replied:  "Of 
course  I  took  it  for  granted  that  the  great  powers  were 
peaceable." 

"It  looks  to  me,"  replied  Mr.  Daniels,  "that,  while 
navies  have  helped  to  keep  the  peace  of  the  world,  unless 
they  are  evenly  matched  they  accomplish  little.  A 
nation  like  Spain,  with  almost  no  navy,  would  be 
helpless  against  a  nation  like  Italy,  which  has  a  good 
navy.  But  Italy  would  be  helpless  against  the  navy 
of  Great  Britain.  Disarmament  is  the  only  thing  that 
puts  all  nations  on  an  absolute  equality." 

"That,"  said  Dorothy,  "and  the  understanding  that 


240  THE  PEACE^IAKERS 

the  only  power  is  God,  infinite  good.  The  powerful 
nation  is  that  which  is  at  one  with  God.  Then,  no 
matter  how  great  the  opposing  force,  if  we  see  with  the 
eyes  of  understanding,  we  shall,  like  Elisha,  be  able 
to  say:  'They  that  be  with  us  are  more  than  they  that 
be  with  them.'  No,  gentlemen,  there  is  power  neither 
in  arms  nor  in  numbers — as  the  history  of  the  children 
of  Israel  repeatedly  shows;  only  in  the  strength  that 
comes  with  a  knowledge  of  man's  unity  with  God — 
infinite  Truth  and  Love." 

The  conversation  was  suddenly  interrupted  by  the 
arrival  of  a  belated  and  excited  guest.  In  his  hand 
was  a  copy  of  the  Evening  News. 

"What  do  you  think  of  this,  Mr.  Benton  ?"  he  asked. 

"Not  having  read  it  I  can  hardly  say,"  was  the 
laughing  rejoinder. 

"Then  listen  and  I  will  read  it  to  you.  It  is  headed: 
'War  Was  the  Issue.  Former  Prime  Minister  of 
Guelph,  the  Honorable  George  Lytton  Benton,  M.P., 
Declares  That  It  Was  on  This  Ground  That  He  Was 
Defeated.  Deplores  Governmental  Policy.'  The  first 
two  paragraphs  of  the  article  are  as  follows: 

"That  the  government  of  Guelph  is  practically  com- 
mitted to  a  policy  of  national  aggrandizement,  no  matter 
at  what  cost,  was  admitted  to  a  representative  of  the 
Evening  News  by  the  Honorable  George  L\i:ton  Benton, 
former  prime  minister  of  Guelph,  in  an  interview  at  his 
hotel  this  morning.  He  declared  that  the  real  issue  at 
the  recent  election  was  a  changed  foreign  policy,  to 
which  he  was  opposed,  and  that  the  new  government 
stands  committed  to  an  aggressive  movement  in  the 
Orient,  no  matter  at  what  cost.     Mr.  Benton  greatly 


SOWING  THE  WIND  241 

deplores  the  stand  his  nation  has  taken  and  looks  upon 
it  as  a  backward  step.  'Of  course,'  he  declared, 
'there  is  no  question  of  Guelph's  ability  to  hold  her 
own  against  any  power  in  the  world,  but  in  these  days 
of  commercial  activity,  men  and  nations  have  some- 
thing better  to  do  than  to  seek  a  market  by  conquest. 
The  people  of  Guelph  cannot  be  said  to  be  looking  for 
trouble,  nor  do  I  understa,nd  this  to  be  the  policy  of 
the  Lackland  government.  It  is  rather  that  it  will  do 
as  it  pleases  and  woe  to  that  power  which  shall  inter- 
fere.' " 

The  reader  paused:  "Did  you  really  say  that,  Mr. 
Benton?"  he  asked. 

"By  no  means.  I  did  admit  that  the  issue  at  the 
recent  election  was  upon  our  foreign  policy,  and  I  did 
say  that  the  new  ministry  stood  committed  to  an  aggres- 
sive policy  for  extending  our  trade,  but  I  did  not  say 
'Woe  to  the  power  that  interferes.'  " 

"Well,  what  would  happen  to  the  power  that  did 
interfere?" 

Benton  shrugged  his  shoulders,  "I  am  no  longer 
prime  minister,"  he  said 

"Here  is  another  item  which  may  interest  you," 
continued  the  reader.  "It  is  headed  'Another  Dreyfus 
Case — Under-Secretary  of  Naval  Affairs  of  Guelph 
Accused  of  Furnishing  Harbor  Plans  to  Enemy,'  And 
says:  'Upon  information  furnished  by  Lord  Aukland, 
minister  of  foreign  affairs,  Thomas  Strong  Allin,  under- 
secretary of  naval  affairs  of  Guelph,  has  been  arrested 
upon  a  charge  of  treason.  The  specific  charge  is  that 
he  has  furnished  plans  of  the  fortifications  of  the  leading 
seaports  of  Guelph  to  the  secret  agents  of  the  govern- 


242  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

merit  of  Vaalmara.  Thomas  Allin  is  a  son  of  Sir  AUin 
Strong,  one  of  the  closest  friends  of  the  Duke  of 
Lackland.  It  is  reported  that  young  Allin,  for  he  is 
not  yet  thirty,  is  a  suitor  for  the  hand  of  the  Marchion- 
ess of  Oxley,  daughter  of  the  Duke  of  Lackland,  and 
his  appointment  partook  of  the  nature  of  a  family 
affair.  His  arrest  is  taken  as  a  severe  blow  to  the  new 
government.' " 

During  the  reading  of  the  item,  Benton's  face  was  a 
study  and  as  such  it  was  observed  by  Dorothy.  As  a 
practitioner  she  had  too  often  been  obliged  to  handle 
evil  thoughts  not  to  recognize  their  expression.  As 
she  watched  George  Benton  there  came  to  her  such  a 
strong  sense  of  his  hypocrisy  that  she  felt  like  crying 
out:  "Woe  unto  you  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypo- 
crites!" Intuitively  she  knew  that  she  w-as  right  in 
witholding  her  judgment  of  Sir  Allin  Strong  and  she 
determined  then  and  there  to  communicate  at  once 
with  John  and  Lucy. 

But  all  this  passed  through  her  mind  much  quicker 
than  it  can  be  told,  and  when  she  noted  the  gleam  of 
satisfaction  on  Mr.  Benton's  face,  caused  by  the  closing 
words  of  the  item,  she  felt  that  she  did  well  to  utter  a 
silent  protest  against  the  evil  thought  she  had  appre- 
hended. 

So  interested  were  the  others  in  the  information 
contained  in  the  news  that  they  failed  to  note  Benton's 
mood.  When  the  reader  had  finished  and  Benton 
simply  remarked  that  he  was  not  surprised  at  anything 
he  might  hear,  they  construed  his  words  to  mean  that 
he  considered  the  government  in  a  hopeless  tangle. 

"It    is    trulv   lamentable,"    declared    Mr.    Daniels, 


SOWING  THE  WIND  243 

^ter  all  the  good  that  we  had  hoped  from  Guelph." 

"And  I  am  particularly  sorry  that  it  should  have 
C!ome  up  during  my  visit  to  the  United  States.  It 
places  me  in  a  most  embarrassing  position." 

'Not  at  all,"  reassured  Mr.  Daniels.  "It  really  is 
to  your  credit  that  you  were  outvoted  at  the  last  election. 
I  am  very  glad  you  are  here  at  so  opportune  a  time,  and 
art-  able  to  sound  a  note  of  warning." 

As  the  company  was  dispersing  some  time  later, 
finding  himself  alone  with  Dorothy  for  a  moment,  Mr. 
Benton  said,  half  ironically: 

"I  have  been  greatly  interested  in  your  views  on 
peact.  Mis:  Howerton.  I  shall  hope  to  see  you  agiin 
and  hear  more  of  your  wonderful  system  of  bringing 
harmony  out  of  discord  and  good  out  of  evil." 

Dorothy  looked  him  squarely  in  the  face  as  she 
replied ; 

"I  know  of  no  one,  Mr.  Benton,  who  needs  it  more 
than  you." 

He  gave  an  almost  imperceptible  start,  but  instantly 
recovering  himself  said,  with  a  shrug  of  his  shoulder 
and  a  mocking  laugh: 

"The  devil  is  not  always  as  black  as  he  is  painted." 

"An  unwarranted  epigram,  Mr.  Benton.  No  paint 
is  black  enough  to  do  evil  justice." 

That  evening  two  aerograms  left  the  city  for  Elm- 
born.  One  was  from  Benton  to  his  emissaries  and 
said:  "I  have  sown  the  wind.  It  is  for  you  to  gather 
the  whirlwind." 

The  other  was  from  Dorothy  to  Lucy  and  was  in  the 
words  of  a  former  King  of  France  to  a  former  King  of 
England.     It  read :  "Watch,  for  the  devil  is  unchained." 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE    FURY    OF   MORTAL  MIND 

It  is  a  day  of  days  in  Elmborn.  For  the  nonce  all 
roads  in  the  kingdom  lead  thitherward.  The  city,  as 
well  as  the  citizens,  has  put  on  its  best  bib  and  tucker 
and  the  streets  are  gay  with  the  wealth  of  hunting  and 
national  and  international  colors  with  which  the  build- 
ings have  been  decorated. 

And  why  not  ?  Have  not  the  combined  fleets  of  the 
neighboring  powers  arrived  in  tlie  harbor  on  their  way 
around  the  globe,  and  has  not  Elmborn  and  the  entire 
nation  of  Guelph  extended  to  them  the  hand  of  wel- 
come.'' If  there  are  any  with  hostile  thoughts  among 
the  vast  multitude  that  throngs  the  streets  and  jostles 
each  other  good-naturedly  in  an  attempt  to  gain  a 
coign  of  vantage,  there  is  nothing  to  indicate  it.  What- 
ever may  be  the  feelings  of  those  entrusted  with  the 
conduct  of  the  government,  the  people  are  surely  pleased 
with  the  visit  and  earnest  in  their  efforts  to  give  the  visi- 
tors a  good  time. 

This  is  the  third  day  of  the  festivities  and  the  great 
day.  On  the  two  previous  days  the  social  events  had 
been  confined  to  entertaining  the  officers  of  the  fleet, 
and  the  honors  had  been  done  by  the  national  and 
municipal  officials.     There  had  been  calls  and  recep- 

244 


THE  FURY  OF  MORTAL  MIND        245 

tions  galore,  and  on  the  previous  night  there  had  been 
a  great  ball  at  the  parliament  house,  in  which  the 
king,  the  queen,  the  court  ladies  and  all  the  dignitaries 
in  the  realm  had  participated.  But  this  is  the  day  on 
which  the  marines  and  sailors  are  to  be  feted  by  the 
people.  This  is  the  day  of  the  big  popular  demon- 
stration, which  is  to  begin  with  a  parade,  to  be  followed 
by  a  barbacue  in  one  of  the  public  parks,  and  to  close 
with  a  grand  display  of  fireworks  in  the  harbor. 

The  program  as  arranged  provides  for  a  reception 
of  the  men  of  the  visiting  fleets  by  several  regiments 
of  national  troops  ;  a  march  through  the  principal 
streets  to  the  great  parade  ground  back  of  the  palace 
and  a  review  of  the  troops  by  the  king,  the  officers  of 
the  Guelphian  army  and  navy  and  the  visiting  ad- 
mirals,— all  to  be  followed  by  the  stacking  of  arms  and 
a  general  breaking  of  ranks  until  6  p.  m.  During  the 
afternoon  the  men  are  to  be  feasted  and  feted  and 
given  the  freedom  of  the  city.  At  night  they  will  view 
the  fire-works  from  the  decks  of  their  ships. 

If  the  day  had  been  made  to  order  it  could  not  have 
been  more  perfect.  The  sun  arose  behind  a  slight 
mist,  which  rapidly  disappeared,  and  by  7  o'clock 
there  was  not  a  cloud  in  the  sky.  An  hour  later  the 
avenues  leading  into  the  city  were  thronged,  and  by 
nine  o'clock  the  sidewalks  were  a  mass  of  moving, 
jostling,  good-natured  humanity,  while  the  roadways 
were  filled  with  flying  autos  and  galloping  horsemen. 
Such  a  display  of  gold  lace  and  gorgeous  uniforms  had 
never  before  been  seen  in  the  streets  of  the  young 
metropolis;  for  the  Guelphians  are  democratic  in  their 
tastes,  despite  their  monarchial  form  of  government. 


246  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

and  the  common  people  are  not  greatly  given  to  gor- 
geous raiment. 

But,  as  has  been  said,  this  is  a  day  of  days,  and 
everyone  who  can  boast  a  bit  of  decoration  or  find  an 
excuse  for  a  uniform  has  donned  the  same,  and  the 
streets  are  a  veritable  kaleidescope  of  changing  color. 
On  the  plazas  and  in  the  market  places,  booths  have 
been  erected  for  the  serving  of  free  refreshments  to 
every  man  who  wears  a  foreign  uniform.  The  stores,, 
stands  and  cafes  where  refreshments  are  sold,  have 
outdone  themselves  to  provide  for  the  hungry  and 
thirsty,  and  all  are  doing  a  rushing  business.  Wherever 
one  of  these  places  is  to  be  found,  there  is  always  a 
crowd,  but  particularly  is  this  true  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  ships  at  which  the  men  from  the  fleets  are  to  land. 

The  harbor  of  Elmborn  is  one  of  the  most  remark- 
able in  the  world.  Nature  originally  designed  it 
thus  and  the  artifice  and  ingenuity  of  modern  inven- 
tions have  made  it  still  more  unique.  The  city 
is  situated  at  the  head  of  a  great  bay,  and  as  it 
has  grown,  has  built  down  the  bay  on  both  sides  so 
that  the  harbor  is  largely  the  shape  of  the  space  con- 
tained within  a  horse-shoe.  In  the  center  of  the  shoe, 
where  one  would  look  for  the  toe  cork,  is  located  the 
palace.  On  both  sides  are  the  more  pretentious 
government  buildings.  Toward  the  water  front  is  a 
great  plaza,  in  which,  surrounded  by  a  large  grass 
plot,  is  a  monument  symbolical  of  the  integrity  of  the 
nation  —  a  plain  obelisk,  rising  586  feet  above  the  sea 
level.  For  the  space  of  more  than  a  thousand  feet, 
stone  steps  lead  immediately  down  to  the  water's  edge. 
In  the  offing,  which  is  commanded  on  either  side  by  a 


THE  FURY  OF  MORTAL  MIND        247 

series  of  huge  guns  arranged  on  disappearing  carriages 
and  which  can  be  pointed  either  seaward  or  cit}^  ard, 
the  royal  yacht  is  wont  to  He.  The  palace  faces  the 
bay,  and  the  parade  ground  is  nearly  half  a  mile  in 
the  rear  with  barracks  at  either  side. 

On  each  side  of  the  harbor,  beginning  where  the 
steps  end,  are  slips.  Those  nearest  the  palace  are 
arranged  for  the  use  of  the  passenger  craft  that  ply  up 
and  down  the  harbor.  Somewhat  farther  down,  are 
the  commercial  whai'ves  with  their  covered  piers;  and 
much  farther  down,  the  government  warehouses  and 
experiment  stations.  Adjoining  these  are  two  forts, 
auxiliary  to  those  at  the  mouth  of  the  bay. 

With  the  arrival  of  the  warships  of  the  visiting 
powers,  the  royal  yacht  had  been  made  the  center  of 
a  semi-circle  of  Guelphian  men  of  war,  facing  which 
are  anchored  the  flagships  of  the  various  fleets.  Imme- 
diately behind  these  is  stationed  the  flagship  of  Admiral 
Sir  William  Moreland.  Still  further  down  the  bay, 
and  riding  at  anchor  almost  in  perfect  alignment,  as 
they  had  steamed  into  harbor,  lay  the  visiting  squad- 
rons— just  off  of  the  government  warehouses,  through 
which  they  are  getting  their  supplies.  As  it  is  more 
than  a  mile  across  the  harbor,  there  is  ample  room  for 
the  ships  to  lie  thus  and  still  leave  plenty  of  space  for 
the  pleasure  craft  to  ply  between  them.  The  other 
Guelphian  men-of-war  have  retired  to  the  navy  yard  at 
Vreelong,  nearer  the  mouth  of  the  bay. 

The  arrangement  is  most  simple,  and  that  there  had 
ever  been  any  question  as  to  the  anchorage  seems 
strange;  but  the  idea  of  having  the  royal  yacht  form 
the  pivotal  point  for  the  visiting  flagships  had  not  at 


2*8  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

first  occurred  to  the  officers  charged  with  the  arrange- 
ments. When  the  misunderstanding  over  the  missing 
letter  had  become  known  to  the  king,  he  had,  himself, 
suggested  the  plan  which  brought  all  the  flagships 
close  to  and  in  the  same  relation  to  the  royal  standard, 
but  left  the  position  of  the  squadrons  down  the  bay 
unchanged. 

It  was  around  the  passenger  slips,  where  a  view  of  the 
steps  leading  to  the  palace  could  be  obtained  and 
where  the  sailors  could  be  seen  putting  off  from  their 
respective  ships,  that,  as  the  day  advanced,  the  greatest 
crowds  collected.  Each  nation  was  represented  by  six 
ships  and  a  flagship — the  flower  of  the  navies  of  the 
world — manned  by  thousands  of  sailors,  and  the  appear- 
ance of  the  harbor  filled  with  boatloads  of  these  men 
making  their  way  to  the  various  landing  places,  fur- 
nished a  most  inspiriting  sight. 

Promptly  at  ten  o'clock  the  king,  surrounded  by  his 
military  escort,  appeared  upon  the  palace  steps  and 
the  imperial  standard  was  broken  out  at  the  mast  head 
of  the  royal  yacht.  This  was  the  signal  for  the  flag- 
ships and  they  immediately  thundered  forth  a  royal 
salute  of  twenty-one  guns.  While  only  the  smaller 
batteries  were  used  in  firing  the  salute,  the  cannon- 
ading was  terrific,  and  the  crowds  on  the  streets  stopped 
their  ears  and  their  chatter  until  it  was  ended. 

Within  his  prison,  whose  windows  commanded  a 
good  view  of  the  harbor,  Tom  and  Jackey  watched  the 
great  spectacle.  Electric  launches  filled  with  officers 
in  dazzling  uniforms,  and  pleasure  craft  crowded  with 
gaily  dressed  excursionists,  darted  in  and  out  among 
the  men-of-war,  while  over-head,  several  airships  plied 


THE  FURY  OF  MORTAL  MIND        249 

up  and  down  the  length  of  the  bay  and  over  the  city. 
As  each  of  the  naval  launches  passed  the  royal  yacht, 
it  dipped  its  colors,  and  on  the  excursion  boats  the 
bands  played  gaily.  Occasionally  an  airship  would 
drop  a  bomb,  which  would  explode  high  in  the  air. 

When  the  salute  had  been  fired  Jackey  had  shouted 
with  glee  at  every  gun,  and  when  it  was  over  he  had 
laughed  long  and  loud.  His  unusual  antics  so  greatly 
astounded  Tom,  that  as  soon  as  he  could  make  himself 
heard  he  exclaimed: 

"Don't  you  like  the  noise?" 

For  a  reply  Jackey  only  laughed  the  louder. 

Tom  watched  him  in  surprise  and  finally  asked 
again : 

"What  is  the  matter?     Have  you  gone  crazy?" 

The  black  stopped  suddenly.  "Who's  gone  crazy? 
Jackey?" 

"Yes,"  replied  Tom. 

"Not  Jackey  who  has  gone  crazy,  Mister  Tom. 
All  the  rest  of  the  world.  Ki-yi-yi.  They  make  Jackey 
laugh." 

Tom  smiled  in  spite  of  himself.  "It  does  seem 
foolish,  does  it  not?"  he  asked. 

"Why  do  it.  Mister  Tom?" 

Tom  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "Quien  sabe?  as  the 
Spaniard  would  say.     Who  knows?" 

Jackey  looked  at  Tom  in  surprise.  "Mister  Tom, 
not  know?"  he  asked. 

"No,  Jackey,  I  do  not.  It  is  simply  a  custom  among 
civilized  nations." 

"Civilized?     What  civilized  mean?" 

"It  means,"  replied  Tom  as  he  tried  to  think  of  a 


250  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

good  definition,  "it  means — well  it  means  to  act  in  an 
orderly,  intelligent,  peaceable  manner.  It  is  the 
opposite  of  barbarous,  or  fierce,  or  savage." 

"And  is  the  big  noise  civilized?" 

"Well,  not  exactly,"  laughed  Tom. 

"  Jackey  not  think  so.     Jackey  think  it  fierce." 

On  a  balcony,  which  led  out  from  the  spacious 
oflBces  of  the  Duke  of  Lackland  and  overlooked  the  bay, 
a  similar  conversation  was  taking  place  between  Lady 
Judith,  Sibyl  and  Lucy  and  John  Winslow.  They 
had  come  out  at  John's  request  because  the  balcony 
not  only  furnished  a  view  of  the  bay,  but  the  plaza  as 
well,  and  gave  him  an  excellent  opportunity  to  watch 
the  crowds.  While  his  visit  was  that  of  a  private 
citizen,  John  had  been  one  of  the  most  conspicuous 
figures  during  the  festivities.  And  wherever  John  and 
Lucy  were  seen,  in  the  same  group  the  young  Mar- 
chioness of  Oxley  was  nearly  always  to  be  found. 

From  the  day  of  their  arrival  at  Somerton,  Lady 
Judith  had  been  greatly  attracted  toward  this  remark- 
able couple,  as  she  had  classified  them.  But,  while 
she  had  been  drawn  toward  Lucy  because  of  her  loving 
thoughts  and  her  kindly  sympathy,  it  was  John  who 
impressed  her  with  the  force  of  his  actions.  She  had 
not  yet  come  to  recognize  Lucy's  quiet  power;  but 
John's  vigor  and  energy  seemed  to  come  as  the  expres- 
sion of  that  one  Mind  which  Lady  Judith  had  now 
for  so  long  a  time  been  striving  to  apprehend,  and 
she  talked  to  him  constantly.  So  it  was  that  during 
the  many  functions  incident  to  the  visit  of  the  fleets, 
she  had  made  it  her  especial  duty,  not  only  to  present 
John   and    Lucy  to   her  personal  friends,   but  to  so 


THE  FURY  OF  MORTAL  MIND        251 

attach  herself  to  them  that  she  might  gather  from  their 
words  and  actions  more  of  that  spirit  which  animated 
them. 

John's  prominence  at  home  and  his  acquaintance 
abroad — for  he  had,  at  one  time  or  another  been  on 
diplomatic  missions  to  nearly  every  nation  represented 
- — made  him  a  welcome  guest  everywhere.  The  rep- 
resentatives of  the  various  nations,  although  trained 
for  war,  were  delighted  to  honor  one  whose  life  had 
been  devoted  to  the  promulgation  and  demonstration 
of  peace.  And  no  one  will  deny  that  since  the  day 
that  John  and  Lucy  decided  where  his  duty  lay,  he  had 
consistently  and  conscientiously  striven  to  prove  the 
truth  of  those  tenets  which  he  believed  would  one  day 
bring  universal  peace.  That  he  had  been  compelled  to 
participate  in  many  a  bitter  struggle,  none  will  doubt 
who  have  ever  striven  to  follow  in  the  way  of  Truth's 
appointing;  but  the  very  fact  that  the  struggle  was  so 
bitter  and  that  so  few,  comparatively,  had  the  stability 
to  continue  in  its  footsteps,  was  proof  to  John  and 
Lucy,  at  least,  that  Truth  was  leading. 

It  was  only  upon  their  present  voyage,  that,  sitting 
upon  the  deck  of  the  steamer  one  evening,  John  had  said: 

"Thirty -five  years  ago  universal  peace  seemed  very 
near  to  us,  sweetheart,  and  while  we  have  done  much 
to  advance  the  cause,  it  really  does  not  seem  as  near 
now  as  then." 

Lucy  had  given  one  of  those  little  laughs  that  had 
been  so  noticeable  as  a  girl,  and  as  she  laid  her  hand 
on  his  arm  had  said  tenderly: 

"Still  a  little  impatient,  John.  Still  that  sense  of 
time,  and  of  my  will  instead  of  Thine." 


252  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

John  laughed:  "How  well  you  know  me.  But  do 
you  not  think  I  am  doing  a  little  better  ?" 

"Much,"  she  replied.  "And  you  have  always  been 
in  earnest.  In  so  far  as  it  has  been  possible  for  the 
human  mind  to  realize  peace,  you  have  brought  it 
into  the  consciousness  of  many." 

"But  how  about  the  great  majority,  who  seem  to 
have  no  sense  of  what  peace  really  is .''" 

"They  must  be — they  are  being  educated,"  was 
Lucy's  reply.  "And  when  I  say  educated,  I  use  the 
word  in  its  derivative  meaning — the  leading  out  of  that 
which  is  in  the  true  consciousness  of  every  man." 

"I  understand,"  replied  John  thoughtfully,  "and 
how  far  do  you  think  mankind  has  thus  been  led  ?" 

"A  long  way,  I  am  sure.  There  is  within  me  at  this 
moment  a  firm  belief  that  the  day  is  not  far  distant, 
when  we  shall  be  able  to  give  wonderful  proof  of  the 
development  of  the  peace  idea  in  the  consciousness  of 
mankind." 

The  approach  of  other  passengers  had  interrupted 
their  conversation  and  it  had  not  been  resumed;  but 
on  this  morning,  when  all  about  them  was  the  noisy 
evidence  of  war-like  devices,  if  not  the  war-like  spirit, 
the  conversation  had  flashed  across  John's  mind 
and  he  had  remarked  with  a  laugh: 

"This  does  not  point  toward  the  immediate  proof 
of  your  sense  of  developing  peace,  Lucy." 

Lucy  only  smiled,  but  Lady  Judith  exclaimed: 

"It  surely  does  not  presage  immediate  disarmament, 
does  it .''     Why  do  men  indulge  in  such  folly .''" 

"For  the  present,"  replied  John,  "it  seems  to  be 
mankind's  highest  sense  of  conferring  honor."     Then, 


THE  FURY  OF  MORTAL  MIND        253 

with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye:     "It  is  not  everyone  who  is 
given  twenty-one  guns,  you  know." 

"True,"  said  Lady  Judith  sadly,  "and  for  how 
small  a  cause  would  the  twenty-one  guns  be  shotted." 

"You  took  the  words  right  out  of  my  mouth,"  said 
Sibyl.     "When  will  these  war-like  exhibitions  cease  ?" 

"Whenever  there  is  nothing  to  exhibit,"  replied  John. 

"Whenever  mankind  learns  that  nothing  is  settled  by 
war,"  declared  Lucy.  "When  they  realize  that  the 
only  way  to  live  happily,  peacefully  and  harmoniously 
is  for  all  men  to  reflect  the  one  Mind." 

"And  when  will  that  be,  do  you  think?"  asked  Lady 
Judith. 

"Sooner,  perhaps  than  most  expect.  During  the 
past  two  days  I  have  talked  with  many  men  and  women 
on  this  very  subject,  and  regardless  of  their  station, 
whether  civilians  or  military  men,  I  have  found  an 
undercurrent  of  sentiment  in  favor  of  concerted  dis- 
armament—  or  at  least  of  greatly  reduced  arma- 
ment." 

"Concerted  action,"  declared  Lady  Judith,  "does 
not  seem  likely  to  be  taken.  The  nations  seem  over- 
whelmed with  a  sense  of  jealousy  and  fear." 

"Neither  of  which,"  said  Lucy  quickly,  "has  any 
place  in  the  Mind  which  man  reflects.  If  our  own 
people  will  only  hold  to  this  thought,  I  know  it  can  be 
proven." 

"Especially,"  said  Sibyl,  "when  thoughts  of  peace 
now  appear  uppermost  in  so  many  hearts." 

"And  yet,"  declared  John,  "I  have  found  that  it  is 
not  when  the  world  is  running  smoothly  that  men 
desire  a  change.     It  is  when  thought  is  most  greatly 


254  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

disturbed  that  the  voice  of  Truth  is  most  plainly  heard 
and  its  power  is  most  felt." 

"Much  as  I  desire  disarmament,"  said  Lady  Judith, 
"I  am  not  anxious  to  see  it  brought  about  at  the  ex- 
pense of  any  great  international  trouble." 

"Better  the  troubled  waters  of  Truth  than  the  calm 
sea  of  error,"  declared  Lucy.  "But  see,  the  king  is 
returning  to  the  land." 

It  was  as  Lucy  had  said.  The  king  and  his  escort 
were  leaving  the  royal  yacht  in  launches,  and  at  the 
same  time  the  admirals  and  their  staffs  were  also 
leaving  their  respective  flagships. 

As  the  admirals  neared  the  landing,  the  people  on 
shore  who  had  crowded  just  as  far  toward  the  place 
as  possible,  set  up  a  wild  cheer  and  hundreds  of  flags 
were  waved  aloft  As  the  king  landed  from  the  launch 
and  mounted  his  horse,  the  crowds  fell  back  to  give 
the  royal  party  and  distinguished  guests  room  to  pass; 
and  as  the  representatives  of  each  nation  came  along, 
the  flag  of  that  particular  nation  was  waved  by  the 
shouting  populace. 

It  was  indeed  a  noisy  demonstration,  and  as  anyone 
could  see,  was  likewise  the  outcome  of  personal 
friendliness  and  cordiality.  It  was  so  felt  by  all  the 
visitors,  and  Admiral  Du  Pays  of  Madagascar  re- 
marked to  Flag  Captain  Morceau: 

"Whoever  said  that  the  people  of  Guelph  were 
thinking  war,  has  lost  his  mind." 

"But  sometimes,  Mon  Amiral,  the  government 
wants  war  when  the  people  do  not." 

"No  wise  king,"  replied  the  admiral,  "ever  goes  to 


THE  FURY  OF  MORTAL  MIND        Z55 

war  who   has  not  his  people  with  him.     No,     No, 
Captain?     Somebody  has  lied!" 

Similar  remarks  were  made  by  the  visitors  from  the 
other  nations  and  as  the  day  advanced  and  the  program 
was  carried  out  this  feeling  increased. 

After  the  review,  the  sailors  and  marines  marched 
past  the  barracks  and,  stacking  their  arms,  broke  ranks 
and  proceeded  to  enjoy  the  hospitality  of  the  city.  It 
is  doubtful  if  such  a  jollification,  where  so  many  differ- 
ent nations  participated,  had  ever  before  occurred. 
Nothing  was  too  good  for  the  guests,  and  the  only 
restriction  placed  upon  the  business  of  the  day  was  the 
closing  of  the  dram  shops.  At  the  request  of  the 
visiting  officers,  not  a  drop  of  intoxicants  was  sold  in 
Elmborn  that  day,  and  the  government  had  ample 
cause  for  thankfulness  ere  the  day  was  done. 

After  the  men  had  landed  and  the  interest  in  the 
day's  festivities  had  been  transferred  from  the  harbor 
to  the  parade  ground,  not  only  the  water  front  but  the 
water  itself  was  turned  over  to  those  who  had  charge 
of  the  fireworks  and  the  electrical  display.  The 
arrangements  for  this  feature  had  been  most  elaborate 
and  many  thousands  of  dollars  had  been  spent  upon  it. 
One  of  the  features  was  to  be  a  mimic  battle,  in  which 
a  fleet  of  fire-ships  was  to  sail  up  the  bay,  shooting 
volleys  of  rockets  and  Greek  fire.  It  was  to  sail  almost 
up  to  the  royal  yacht,  when  the  guns  from  the  shore 
were  to  open  upon  it  and  the  counterfeit  men-of-war 
were  one  by  one  to  be  blown  up. 

In  the  perfection  of  this  work  a  fleet  of  small  launcnes 
and  harbor  boats  was  employed,  and  for  several  hours 


256  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

the  harbor  was  alive  with  these  active  little  workers. 
They  were  everywhere — along  the  harbor  and  among 
the  visiting  ships — setting  buoys  upon  which  Greek 
fire  was  to  be  burned,  and  placing  large  numbers  of 
miniature  mines.  The  work  was  under  the  immediate 
supervision  of  the  war  department,  and  several  officers 
were  detailed  to  supervise  it.  The  harbor  fireboats 
were  ordered  to  patrol  the  wharves  and  every  precau- 
tion was  taken  to  prevent  any  accident  from  marring 
what  was  destined  to  be  the  great  event  of  the  festi- 
vities. 

It  was  comparatively  early  in  the  afternoon  when 
the  main  work  was  finished  and  the  harbor  resumed 
its  natural  condition.  The  festivities  on  land  had 
attracted  practically  the  entire  population  and  the 
harbor  was  deserted  except  for  an  occasional  launch 
plying  about  among  the  buoys,  and  the  small  guard 
that  had  been  left  to  care  for  the  visiting  ships. 

Overhead  three  or  four  airships  were  still  sailing 
back  and  forth,  but  as  Tom  watched  them  from  the 
window  of  his  prison,  they  appeared  to  have  few,  if 
any,  passengers.  On  the  land,  crackers  were  snapping 
and  bands  playing.     All  was  joy  and  jollity. 

Then,  without  the  slightest  warning,  the  fury  of 
mortal  mind  was  loosed. 

Suddenly  from  the  harbor  came  the  sound  of  a 
muffled,  but  fearful  explosion  which  shocked  the  entire 
city.  This  was  quickly  followed  by  others  and  the  few 
persons  on  the  docks  saw  the  water  thrown  up  as  by 
a  mighty  earthquake.  It  rose  in  great  columns,  dash- 
ing against  the  docks  and  falling  upon  the  shipping. 
Boats  in  the  harbor  were  torn  from  their  moorings  and 


THE  FURY  OF  MORTAL  MIND        257 

a  number  of  small  craft  overwhelmed  by  its  tesistless 
fury. 

The  pent  up  forces  of  the  under  world  seemed  re- 
leased, and  the  waters  and  the  land  beneath  were  rent 
and  shattered.  Only  the  airships  sailing  peacefully 
in  the  heavens  above  seemed  unaftboted  by  the  terrible 
upheaval. 


CHAPTER  IX 


A   NOTE   OF   PEACE 


At  the  sound  of  the  first  explosion  the  people  had 
started  in  surprise.  As  explosion  followed  explosion 
and  shock  followed  shock,  they  turned  toward  each 
other  and  with  blanched  faces  stood  riveted  to  the 
spot,  dazed  and  stunned.  Then,  as  the  explosions 
ceased,  the  terror  stricken  multitude  turned,  and  with 
one  impulse,  made  a  wild  dash  for  the  water  front. 

The  officers  and  men  of  the  visiting  fleets  and  of 
the  Guelphian  forces  rushed  wildly  hither  and  thither. 
So  commingled  with  the  thousands  of  citizens  were 
the  soldiers  and  sailors  that  it  was  impossible  to 
separate  them,  and  the  struggling,  shouting,  terrified 
mass  surged  toward  the  harbor. 

Once  there,  what  a  scene  met  their  gaze.  The  water 
of  the  harbor  was  covered  with  the  wreckage  of  floats 
and  partially  destroyed  launches.  Portions  of  the 
docks  in  the  lower  harbor  had  been  torn  away,  and 
the  broken  ends  of  the  wharves  gaped  and  yawned. 
But  most  fearful  of  all,  looking  down  the  bay  where 
half  an  hour  before  the  visiting  ships  had  ridden  peace- 
fully at  anchor,  there  now  appeared  a  confused  mass  of 
wrecked  fire-ships  and  men-of-war,  some  of  which 
were  slowly  sinking,  leaving  in  place  of  the  gallant  fleet 
which  had  sailed  so  proudly  into  the  harbor  two  days 

258 


A  NOTE  OF  PEACE  259 

before,  a  score  or  more  of  blackened  warships,  all  more 
or  less  damaged. 

The  Guelphians  as  well  as  the  visitors  stood  horrified. 
What  had  happened,  and  how  ?  This  was  the  question 
that  flashed  into  every  mind — the  question  none  could 
answer. 

The  enormity  of  the  catastrophe  was  at  first  too 
great  to  be  comprehended.  Men  and  ofiicers  alike 
stood  dumbfounded.  Not  knowing  exactly  what  had 
happened,  none  knew  just  what  to  do  and  all  seemed 
stupefied. 

The  first  to  grasp  the  situation  was  Admiral  Sir 
William  Moreland.  With  him,  to  think  was  to  act. 
From  his  office  in  the  admiralty  building,  whither  he 
had  returned  but  half  an  hour  before  and  was  enjoying 
his  afternoon  cigar,  Sir  William  had  been  aroused  by 
the  first  explosion.  He  had  jumped  to  the  window 
and  had  seen  the  waters  of  the  harbor  lashed  with  each 
succeeding  upheaval. 

At  first  he  thought  it  simply  an  accident  to  some 
of  the  fireworks;  but  casting  his  eyes  down  the  bay,  he 
saw  the  water  thrown  up  around  the  visiting  ships. 
Unable  to  surmise  the  cause  of  the  explosion,  he  was 
still  the  great  admiral.  In  an  instant  he  comprehended 
the  certain  result  of  the  happening  and  almost  before 
the  water  had  ceased  to  boil,  had  wired  the  ships  in 
the  navy  yard  to  immediately  clear  for  action  and 
sail  up  the  harbor.  Then  he  had  signalled  the  ships 
about  the  royal  yacht  to  man  the  launches  with  such 
as  were  aboard  and  hasten  to  the  aid  of  the  injured 
vessels. 

By  the  time  these  orders  had  been  given,  the  crowds 


260  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

came  swarming  to  the  water's  edge,  and  while  the 
people  stood  stupefied  he  had  ordered  two  of  his  swiftest 
airships  to  take  possession  of  every  aerial  craft  in  Elm- 
born. 

By  the  time  these  orders  were  given,  the  king  him- 
self had  commanded  the  guard  in  the  barracks  to  seize 
the  parade  grounds  and  not  to  allow  an^  toe  to  take 
the  arms  which  had  been  stacked  there  earlier  in  the 
day.  The  police  reserves  were  ordered  to  the  palace. 
The  firemen  and  the  fireboats  were  already  busy  along 
the  harbor  front.  The  pleasure  craft  not  injured  by 
the  explosions  hastened  out  into  the  bay,  and  to  such 
good  purpose  did  all  work  that  the  loss  of  life  was 
limited  to  less  than  two  score.  That  such  a  disaster 
could  have  occurred  with  such  a  small  death  list  seemed 
miraculous  to  those  who  saw  in  the  disaster  only  a 
great  catastrophe;  but  to  those  already  working  against 
the  evil  thought  thus  manifested,  the  miracle  was  that 
it  should  have  acquired  even  this  seeming  power. 

But  while  all  this  was  happening — quicker  than  one 
can  write  it — the  confusion  in  the  streets  was  beyond 
description.  No  words  can  intelligently  describe  the 
scene.  Believing  that  they  had  been  betrayed  into  a 
trap  of  some  kind,  the  visitors  were  at  first  greatly 
terrified.  They  bethought  themselves  of  the  rumors 
they  had  heard,  and  with  cries  to  one  another  separated 
themselves  from  the  populace  and  started  to  the  place 
where  they  had  left  their  arms. 

Here  the  confusion  which  followed  resulted  in  a 
veritable  riot.  Finding  that  troops  from  the  barracks 
had  already  taken  possession  of  their  arms,  several 
hundred  sailors  formed  in  line  and  were  about  to  hurl 


A  NOTE  OF  PEACE  261 

themselves  against  the  police  and  soldiers,  when  a 
warning  cry  that  the  guns  of  the  shore  batteries  had 
been  turned  against  them,  coupled  further  with  the  fact 
that  by  this  time  the  citizens  had  again  mingled  with 
and  partially  restrained  them,  prevented  such  an 
assault. 

While  those  who  had  first  arrived  stood  irresolute, 
fresh  numbers  were  pouring  in,  many  of  them  headed 
by  their  oflScers.  Something  like  a  council  of  war  was 
called  and  action  which  would  certainly  result  in  blood- 
shed was  imminent,  when  the  attention  of  all  was 
attracted  by  the  note  of  a  bugle  sounding  the  assembly 
call.  Turning  their  eyes  toward  the  reviewing  stand, 
from  which  the  call  came,  two  persons — a  man  and  a 
woman — were  discovered  standing  beside  the  bugler. 

They  were  John  Winslow  and  the  Marchioness  of 
Oxley. 

As  these  two  had  been  among  the  most  prominent 
figures  during  the  days  that  had  passed,  they  were 
instantly  recognized  by  the  populace  and  the  visiting 
officers;  and  when  the  notes  of  the  bugle  died  away 
and  John  removed  his  broad-rimmed  hat  and  held  it 
aloft,  his  tall  form  stretched  to  its  full  height,  a  great 
cheer  arose. 

Standing  there  with  his  head  bared  to  the  setting 
sun — whose  slanting  rays  made  more  pronounced  the 
gray  which  tinged  his  temples — in  those  clarion  tones 
which  had  so  often  voiced  the  truth  in  his  pleadings 
for  peace,  John  cried  out: 

"Citizens  of  the  world!     Friends!     Hear  me!" 

At  the  first  sound  of  his  voice  a  faint  shout  of  derlsioa 
arose  from  a  few  of  the  foreign  seamen  who  were 


262  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

unacquainted  with  the  speaker  and  his  international 
reputation;  but  as  he  proceeded,  a  great  hush  fell  upon 
the  multitude.  Without  heeding  the  slight  interruption 
John  continued: 

"A  terrible  catastrophe  seems  to  have  occurred. 
Whence  it  has  come  and  how,  the  king  and  the  people 
of  Guelph  know  not.  Upon  them  the  blow  has  fallen 
with  fearful  suddenness  and  they  are  weighted  with  a 
load  of  sorrow.     All  alike  are  ignorant  of  the  cause. 

"In  behalf  of  the  king  I  am  here.  You  all  know 
who  I  am.  You  all  know  the  great  nation  I  represent. 
And  you  all  know  that  I  stand  for  peace. 

"At  this  moment  as  never  before  do  I  plead  for  peace 
— that  law  of  God,  divine  Love,  which  forbids  wars 
and  commands  you  and  me  to  love  one  another.  I 
stand  before  you  today,  not  simply  the  representative 
of  a  progressive  people,  but  as  a  representative  of  that 
universal  kingdom  whose  only  law  is  love. 

"Better  than  you  know  me,  you  know  the  young 
woman  at  my  side.  As  next  of  birth,  into  her  hand 
some  day  may  be  given  the  scepter  of  this  young  king- 
dom.—" 

A  great  shout  of  approval  greeted  his  words.  When 
the  cheers  ceased,  he  continued: 

"Look  at  her!  Do  you  see  in  her  face  any  expres- 
sion save  that  of  kindness  and  good  will  toward  men  ? 
In  her  behalf,  as  well  as  in  behalf  of  the  king  and  of 
the  people  of  Guelph,  I  ask  you  to  stop  and  think;  and 
to  do  only  that  which  is  right." 

He  paused  to  note  the  effect  of  his  words.  The 
silence  which  had  succeeded  the  outburst  was  intense. 
It  was  well  nigh  oppressive.     While  the  clamor  of  a 


A  NOTE  OF  PEACE  263 

mob  is  more  terrifying,  to  the  man  of  perception  it  is 
less  dangerous  than  the  ominous  silence  which  may 
presage  a  more  violent  outburst.  It  is  the  lull  in  the 
storm;  a  manifestation  of  mortal  mind  more  difficult 
to  gauge  than  the  storm  itself.  Instinctively  Lady 
Judith  drew  nearer  to  John  as  he  again  spoke: 

"Men  of  the  world;  fellow  citizens  of  the  universal 
kingdom.  In  this  terrible  manifestation  of  evil  let 
us  stand  apart.  Let  us  not  be  swept  away  by  the 
unreasoning  force  of  human  passions.  Let  us  be  men 
indeed  in  the  image  of  God.  Let  us  remember  that 
God  omnipotent  reigneth,  and  that  out  of  this  seemingly 
great  evil  He  can  and  will  bring  good.  Knowing  this, 
let  us  act  only  in  accord  with  His  will.  Let  us  remem- 
ber that  we  are  all  children  of  the  one  Father — that  we 
are  part  of  one  great  family — and  let  us  here  and  now 
prove  the  brotherhood  of  man.  Let  us  know,  as  the 
Scriptures  teach,  neither  Greek  nor  Barbarian;  let  us 
know  neither  African,  Guelphian,  Bornean  nor  Ameri- 
can; but  let  us  know  each  other  as  citizens  of  that  one 
great  nation  whose  ruler  is  the  King  of  Kings  and 
whose  kingdom  is  from  everlasting  unto  everlasting. 

"Will  you  doit.?" 

He  paused.  For  an  instant  the  silence  remained 
unbroken  and  then  came  an  answering  shout  from 
forty  thousand  throats: 

"We  will!    We  will!" 

In  the  excitement  of  the  moment,  men  turned  and 
grasped  each  other's  hands  and  those  who  but  a  mo- 
ment before  had  been  more  than  strangers,  were  in  a 
twinkling  transformed  to  friends. 

"I  am  asked  by  the  government,"  continued  John 


264  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"to  say  that  every  stranger  within  its'  gates  is  now 
more  than  ever  a  guest  of  this  nation.  None  shall 
want.  To  this  I  pledge  you  my  word,  as  does  also 
her  grace,  the  Marchioness  of  Oxley.  And  in  the  name 
of  the  king  I  ask  that  all  officers  meet  forthwith  in  the 
House  of  Lords.  As  for  the  rest  of  us,  let  us  stand 
aside  and  realize  God's  kingdom  on  earth;  let  us  be 
«tiU  and  know  that  God  b  Godl" 


CHAPTER  X 

ARRANGING   A  TRUCE 

When  John  and  Lady  Judith  reached  the  chamber 
of  lords  in  the  Parliament  House,  it  was  already  well 
filled  with  government  officials,  heads  of  departments, 
officers  of  the  Guelphian  army  and  navy  and  officers 
of  the  visiting  fleets.  Where  but  the  night  before  had 
been  gathered  the  wealth  and  beauty  of  Guelph  on 
pleasure  bent,  were  now  gathered  stern-faced  men, 
aroused  to  such  a  point  as  might  at  any  moment  turn 
the  city  into  a  scene  of  rioting  and  bloodshed.  Fear, 
suspicion  and  anger  were  depicted  on  the  countenances 
of  those  assembling,  and  it  was  only  by  the  greatest 
tact  on  the  part  of  those  entrusted  with  the  immediate 
conduct  of  affairs  that  personal  encounters  were  several 
times  averted. 

But,  as  is  always  the  case  in  an  emergency  of  this 
kind,  there  were  some  clear  heads,  and  while  there  were 
many  expressions  of  mistrust  and  anger  by  some  of 
the  most  excitable,  it  is  to  the  credit  of  the  officers  of 
the  visiting  fleets  that  a  spirit  of  willingness  to  await 
developments  prevailed.  Even  at  that,  so  great  was 
the  tension  and  so  imminent  the  outbreak,  that  after  a 
hasty  survey  of  the  scene  John  said  to  Lady  Judith: 

"This  is  hardly  the  place  for  a  woman.  You  had 
better  let  me  take  you  home." 


266  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"Forget  that  I  am  a  woman,"  said  Lady  Judith, 
"and  think  of  me  only  as  the  possible  ruler  of  a  dis- 
graced nation." 

"Then,  my  dear  young  woman,"  said  John  earnestly, 
"I  trust  you  will  use  all  the  understanding  at  your 
command  to  realize  the  omnipotence  and  omnipresence 
of  God,  divine  Love,  under  whose  protection  alone 
we  are  safe  from  human  hatred  and  passion.  This 
truth  is  the  buckler  and  shield  of  all  who  understand 
its  full  import." 

Lady  Judith  was  about  to  reply,  but  opportunity  was 
lacking.  While  they  were  speaking  they  had  gradually 
worked  their  way  through  the  constantly  increasing 
crowd  until  they  now  found  themselves  close  to  the 
speaker's  desk,  just  as  the  king  and  his  cabinet  entered. 

Albert  was  clad  simply  in  the  uniform  of  an  admiral, 
the  same  he  had  worn  at  the  grand  review  in  the 
morning;  but  his  bearing  was  most  regal  and,  moved 
as  by  a  common  impulse,  every  head  was  bared.  Step- 
ping upon  the  dais  beside  the  speaker's  desk,  the  king 
acknowledged  the  mark  of  respect  by  a  slight  inclination 
of  his  head.     Then  baring  his  own  he  said: 

"Gentlemen,  I  appreciate  your  courtesy;  but  in  the 
face  of  such  a  disaster  let  us  forget  position  and  rank 
and  let  us  bow  in  homage  before  the  great  Ruler  of  the 
Universe.  Let  us  ere  we  take  a  single  step  in  the 
solving  of  the  great  problem  which  confronts  us,  ask 
guidance  from  above,  that  our  dcliV^erations  may  be 
wise  and  harmonious,  and  our  decision  just  and 
righteous." 

Then,  while  every  head  was  bowed,  the  chaplain  of 
the  House  of  Lords  in  earnest  and  wisely  chosen  words 


ARRANGING  A  TRUCE  267 

besought  a  divine  blessing  upon  the  assemblage  and 
the  nations  represented;  an  uncovering  of  that  sense  of 
evil  which  had  brought  about  so  dire  a  catastrophe  and 
the  destruction  of  any  feeling  of  suspicion  or  hatred 
that  might  have  been  aroused  thereby.  It  was  an 
unusual  and  unexpected  utterance  and  so  evidently 
inspired  by  a  sense  of  the  utter  impotence  of  human 
wisdom  to  administer  justice,  and  a  complete  depen- 
dence upon  God  as  the  only  refuge  that,  when  the 
prayer  had  been  spoken  and  the  bowed  heads  of  the 
assemblage  were  raised,  it  took  but  a  glance  to  note 
the  changed  countenances  or  to  recognize  the  change 
of  thought  depicted  thereon.  It  was  as  though  a  ray 
of  sunshine  had  suddenly  pierced  the  gloom  of  some 
beautifully  carved  crypt  and  illumined  with  its  light 
the  face  of  the  carvings.  It  was  the  ray  of  spiritual 
light,  let  in  by  the  loving  thought  of  the  aged  chaplain, 
whose  whole  life  had  been  devoted  to  the  comfortino- 
of  suffering  humanity.  It  was  as  the  prayer  of  a  little 
child. 

So  changed  was  the  mental  atmosphere  at  the  con- 
clusion of  this  brief  but  spiritual  utterance  that  the 
purpose  and  intent  of  the  meeting  speedily  changed. 
King  Albert  was  quick  to  note  it  and  in  a  few  words 
pointed  out  to  the  assembled  officers  of  the  foreign 
powers  that  it  must  be  plain  to  them  that  the  disaster 
was  due  to  one  of  two  things:  Either  gross  carelessness 
on  the  part  of  those  entrusted  with  the  arrangements 
of  the  great  fireworks  display,  especially  in  the  placing 
of  the  mines  and  the  location  of  the  counterfeit  war- 
ships which  were  to  be  destroyed;  or  to  some  fearful 
conspiracy,  which  had  for  its  purpose,  not  the  destruc- 


268  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

tion  of  half  a  dozen  or  more  warships  of  friendly  nations, 
but  the  destruction  of  the  kingdom  of  Guelph. 

"No  matter  what  the  world  may  think  of  us,"  he 
exclaimed;  "no  matter  how  great  egotism  it  may 
unjustly  charge  us  with;  no  matter  how  overwhelming 
the  confidence  it  may  accuse  us  of  having  in  our  own 
naval  strength;  no  matter  how  firmly  it  may  believe 
all  the  falsehoods  our  enemies  have  uttered,  the  world 
cannot  believe  that  we  are  insane  enough  to  think  that 
we  are  able  to  resist  the  combined  forces  of  the  world, 
or  even  of  the  nations  immediately  interested,  although 
many  of  their  best  ships  have  been  sunk  or  disabled. 

"In  the  reports  which  you  gentlemen  will  make  to 
your  governments — and  every  facility  will  be  afforded 
you  to  make  them  as  complete  as  possible — you  will 
surely  do  us  the  justice  to  point  out  that  we  are  clad  and 
in  our  right  minds,  while  for  any  nation  to  intentionally 
commit  such  an  act  as  this  would  be  the  act  of  mad- 
men. Guelph  is  at  peace  with  all  the  world.  The 
thoughts  of  her  people  are  peaceable — at  least  they  have 
seemed  to  be  up  to  this  moment,  and  we,  gentlemen, 
are  at  just  as  great  a  loss  to  explain  the  cause  of  this 
disaster  as  any  of  you. 

"And  now,  gentlemen,  I  am  sure  you  will  give  such 
orders  as  will  best  conserve  the  ends  of  peace  and 
justice  until  you  can  hear  from  your  governments. 
Our  parks,  our  storehouses,  even  our  transports,  if 
you  should  deem  it  wise  to  use  them,  are  at  your  dis- 
posal. But  you  will,  of  course,  see  the  wisdom  of  not 
arming  the  men,  and  of  not  moving  your  flagships 
from  their  present  anchorage  unless  you  desire  to 
return  home." 


ARRANGING  A  TRUCE  269 

The  assemblage  had  listened  attentively  without  a 
single  suggestion  of  impatience,  protest  or  dissent,  until 
the  king  had  declared  his  intention  of  retaining  the 
arms  of  the  men  and  of  not  allowing  full  freedom 
to  the  flagships.  Then,  in  spite  of  the  good  feeling 
which  had  so  characterized  the  gathering,  exclamations 
of  protest  were  heard  on  all  sides,  and  Admiral  von 
Pelt  of  Eiland,  rising  excitedly  to  his  feet,  exclaimed : 

"This  order.  Your  Majesty,  makes  us  little  less  than 
prisoners  of  war." 

"Not  at  all,  sir.  You  are  at  liberty  to  go  where  you 
please,  and  if  you  desire  to  sail  for  home  you  will  be 
escorted  down  the  bay." 

"But  my  men.?" 

"We  will  furnish  you  transports  to  take  them  with 
you  if  you  so  desire,"  interrupted  the  king.  "But  they 
must  not  be  armed." 

Turning  to  the  other  admirals  von  Pelt  exclaimed : 

"You  see,  gentlemen,  we  are  helpless.  We  may  as 
well  surrender  our  swords." 

The  Nipponese  and  Luzonian  admirals  seemed  in- 
clined to  side  with  him,  but  Admiral  Kruger  of  Vaal- 
mara  and  Admiral  Du  Pays  of  INIadagascar  smiled 
gravely  and  shook  their  heads.  For  a  moment  there 
seemed  likely  to  be  something  more  than  a  mere  differ- 
ence of  opinion.  But  a  diversion  was  quickly  created 
by  the  king. 

"K  any  of  you  are  dissatisfied  with  my  decision," 
he  said,  "I  am  willing  to  leave  the  entire  matter  in  the 
hands  of  an  arbitrator,  or  an  arbitration  committee." 

"It  would  be  rather  one-sided  justice  that  we  could 
get  here,"  sneered  von  Pelt. 


270  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"I  cannot  see  why,"  replied  the  king.  "There  are 
here  the  German,  Russian  and  American  ambassadors, 
who  are  surely  fair-minded  men,  and  disinterested." 

It  was  at  this  moment  that  by  an  almost  impercep- 
tible movement  Lady  Judith  attracted  the  attention  of 
Admiral  Cuidado  of  Luzonia  towards  John  Winslow. 
He  raised  his  eyebrows  and  leaning  forward  whispered 
a  word  in  the  ear  of  his  Nipponese  comrade.  The 
other  smiled  and  nodded  his  head.  In  an  instant 
Cuidado  was  on  his  feet. 

"If  the  king  will  do  me  the  favor  to  hear  me,"  he 
exclaimed  with  the  grave  courtesy  of  his  Spanish 
ancestors.  "I  would  suggest  that  the  men  of  the 
Republic  of  Luzon  would  be  pleased  to  rest  their  case 
upon  the  decision  of  the  distinguished  American  so 
well  known  in  diplomatic  circles  as  the  great  apostle  of 
peace,  Senor  Juan  Winslow." 

The  name  of  Winslow  had  no  sooner  been  spoken 
than  there  was  an  outburst  of  applause  from  the 
Philippine  officers  and  Admiral  Cuidado  took  his  seat 
amidst  cries  of  "Bueno!     Bueno!" 

Before  the  outburst  had  died  away  Admiral  Oyama 
of  Nippon  was  addressing  the  king. 

"I  would  like  to  speak  my  humble  approval,"  he 
said,  "of  the  choice  of  my  honorable  friend  from 
Luzonia.  No  nation  in  the  world  would  be  more 
acceptable  as  an  arbitrator  than  the  United  States  of 
America  and  no  man  than  the  most  honorable  Sir 
Winslow." 

Cries  of  "Banzai!  Banzai!"  followed  these  words, 
and  as  each  admiral  in  turn  voiced  his  approval  of 
John   W^inslow   as   eminently  fitted   to    arbitrate   any 


ARRANGING  A  TRUCE  271 

difference  that  might  arise  in  perfecting  the  arrange- 
ments for  a  truce,  the  demonstration  increased.  When 
all  had  spoken,  King  Albert  declared  himself  more 
than  pleased  with  the  choice,  but  suggested  that  it 
might  be  wise  to  have  more  than  one  arbitrator. 

Cries  of:  "No!  No!"  followed  the  suggestion  and 
it  was  so  decided. 

During  the  brief  speeches  John  sat  with  bowed  head, 
trying  to  realize  that  in  truth  there  was  nothing  to 
arbitrate;  that,  as  man  reflects  the  one  omniscient 
Mind  and  each  spiritual  individual  must  of  necessity 
have  within  him  the  desire  for  right,  the  arbitrator's 
task  should  be  simply  to  voice  this  righteousness  so 
that  all  might  understand.  When  the  decision  had 
been  declared  unanimous  John  arose,  and  in  accepting 
the  task  declared  that  its  magnitude  depended  entirely 
upon  the  action  of  those  immediately  interested. 

"If  all  are  anxious  for  harmony,"  he  said,  "the  task 
will  be  light;  otherwise  it  will  be  heavy." 

As  night  was  approaching,  John  suggested  that  the 
assemblage  disperse  in  order  that  the  oflScers  might 
provide  a  camp  for  their  men,  and  that  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  powers  meet  him  again  at  nine  o'clock 
to  perfect  a  modus  viviendi. 

The  suggestion  was  at  once  acted  upon  and  the 
meeting  closed.  The  king  and  his  councilors  returned 
to  the  palace,  the  admirals  and  their  immediate  staffs 
to  their  flagships  to  issue  orders  and  prepare  their 
reports  and  John,  in  company  with  Lady  Judith,  to 
Oxley  House — there  in  communion  with  the  one  Mind, 
and  with  the  helpful,  spiritual  thought  of  his  wife,  to 
realize  the  allness  of  good;  the  nothingness  of  evil. 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE    DAWNING    OP   THE   FIRST   DAT 

But  what  of  Lucy  during  these  hours  of  fear,  suspi- 
cion and  unrest  ? 

When  the  first  explosion  had  occurred,  the  members 
of  the  quartet  whom  we  left  on  the  balcony  watching 
the  great  pageant,  were  returning  from  the  barbacue, 
where  they  had  been  interested  spectators  of  the 
hospitality  and  cordiality  of  the  people  of  Guelph 
toward  the  visitors.  T^hey  were  but  a  few  blocks  from 
the  harbor,  and  with  the  succeeding  explosions  had 
turned  their  auto  toward  the  plaza,  where  they  were 
among  the  very  first  to  perceive  the  destruction  wrought. 
In  an  instant  their  keen  insight  had  comprehended  the 
far-reaching  effect  upon  human  passions,  and  at  least 
three  in  the  party  immediately  sent  forth  a  silent 
declaration  of  the  omnipotence  of  God,  infinite  good, 
and  a  denial  of  all  other  seeming  power. 

But  to  the  slowly  awakening  understanding  of  the 
young  marchioness — whose  first  thought  was  still  of 
material  causation — a  different  idea  presented  itself  and 
she  uttered  the  single  word: 

"Benton." 

Like  a  flash  the  exclamation  called  to  Lucy's  mind 
Dorothy's  message  to  watch. 

Ever  since  the  receipt  of  that  message  John  and 
272 


THE  DAWNING  OF  THE  FHIST  DAY     273 

Lucy  had  been  watching.  They  had  fully  grasped  the 
import  of  the  message  and  Dorothy's  wisdom  in 
making  it  absolutely  impersonal,  and  to  the  best  of 
their  understanding  had  been  realizing  that  in  what- 
ever form  the  evil  might  appear,  it  must  ultimately  be 
rendered  powerless  by  omnipotent,  divine  Love. 

With  this  sudden  outbreak  of  discord,  they  were  for 
the  moment  unable  to  decide  whether  it  was  the  result 
of  that  blind  force  which  would  destroy  its  own  cre- 
ation by  what  is  termed  accident,  or  the  result  of 
malice  and  hatred.  In  either  event,  the  first  result  to 
human  sense  would  be  the  destruction  of  life;  and  thus 
it  was  that  a  declaration  of  Life  as  immortal  had 
sprung  to  Sybil's  lips,  while  John  and  Lucy  had 
silently  voiced  the  same  thought. 

But  with  the  mention  of  Benton's  name,  there  came 
to  Lucy  a  great  uncovering  of  the  error  that  had  been 
forcing  itself  upon  them  for  the  past  ten  days.  She 
now  felt  the  full  import  of  Dorothy's  message  and 
understood  that  while  even  she  could  not  know  what 
form  this  evil  would  take,  she  must  have  recognized  the 
channel  through  which  it  was  approaching,  and  so 
had  warned  them.  For  more  than  a  week — while 
it  was  yet  day — Lucy  had  been  working  and  had  so 
filled  her  mind  with  good,  that  now  that  the  night  had 
come,  she  was  prepared. 

Turning  from  the  plaza  as  the  crowds  began  pouring 
in,  the  little  party  had  seen  the  gathering  storm  on  the 
parade  ground,  and  then  it  was  that  Lady  Judith  had 
suggested  the  plan  which  she  and  John  had  at  once 
put  into  effect  in  such  a  timely  manner.  Alighting 
from  the  machine,  John  and  Lady  Judith  went  straight 


274  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

to  the  king,  while  the  other  two  returned  to  Oxley 
House,  where  Lucy  entered  her  closet  and  closed  the 
door  upon  material  sense.  While  the  storm  and  tem- 
pest of  human  passions  raged  without,  she — like  Moses 
— communed  with  God.  Hearing  the  voice  of  Truth  as 
only  those  can  hear  it  whose  hearts  are  pure  and  whose 
ears  are  spiritually  attuned  to  catch  the  divine  utter- 
ances, she  had  at  last  reached  a  realizing  sense  of 
what  must  be  done  to  destroy  the  error  and  save  the 
nation. 

Upon  the  return  of  John  and  Lady  Judith,  a  full 
account  of  the  events  of  the  past  few  hours  was 
given  and  great  thankfulness  was  expressed  by  all 
for  the  small  death  list  and  the  peaceful  trend  of  events. 
"It  is  only  natural  that  they  should  tend  this  way," 
declared  Lucy.  "Long  have  we  been  asking  and 
seeking.  Now  it  is  time  to  knock.  It  is  time  for  man 
to  assert  his  God-given  right  to  peace;  and  for  man- 
kind to  make  its  prayers  available. 

"Education  towards  this  point  has  been  going  on 
for  centuries.  No  matter  what  the  so-called  rulers 
may  think,  the  people — the  individual — is  ready  for 
peace;  and  when  the  individual  consciousness  has  been 
changed  from  thinking  war  to  thinking  peace,  it  is 
only  necessary  that  the  one  Mind  be  so  expressed  as 
to  bring  about  that  one  far-off  event — love,  manifested 
in  peace  and  harmony." 

John's  hand  sought  that  of  his  wife  and  as  she 
ceased  speaking  he  repeated  the  promise  uttered  so 
many  years  ago:  "  'Blessed  are  the  peacemakers;  for 
they  shall  be  called  the  children  of  God.'  Blessed  are 
those  who  so  reflect  Life,  Truth  and  Love  that  they 


THE  DAWNING  OF  THE  FIRST  DAY    275 

bring  health,  harmony  and  heaven  into  the  Hves  of  the 
sick  and  sinning.  Surely  they  shall  be  called  the 
children  of  God,  for  such  they  are." 

Lady  Judith  watched  the  pair  silently.  Such  unity  of 
thought  and  purpose  she  had  never  before  imagined. 
"Here,  indeed,"  she  mused, "is  the  mingling  of  strength, 
purity  and  love  which  constitutes  the  real  marriage." 

Only  for  a  moment,  however,  did  she  muse  thus  for 
another  thought  was '  paramount  in  her  mind.  Not 
yet  appreciating  the  true  idealism — not  yet  realizing 
the  substantiality  of  Spirit  and  its  divine  activity.  Lady 
Judith  did  not  perceive  how  Spirit  could  manifest 
itself  as  Lucy  had  suggested.  And  so,  after  some 
hesitation,  she  finally  asked: 

"How  can  we  assert  our  God-given  right .'^  How 
can  we  make  practical  these  beautiful  sayings  of  Jesus, 
whose  import  has  been  made  so  plain  to  you.'  How 
can  we  love  our  neighbor  as  ourself .'" 

"By  breaking  the  seeming  mortal  law  of  malice, 
hatred  and  revenge  with  the  divine  law  of  Love," 
declared  Lucy. 

"But  how.?"  insisted  Lady  Judith.  "To  me  it 
seems  that  we  are  at  this  moment  suffering  because 
someone  has  broken  this  very  divine  law." 

"But  it  only  seems,"  replied  John  earnestly.  "The 
divine  law  has  not — cannot  be  broken.  If  we  could 
break  it,  if  we  could  annul  any  law,  we  should 
invalidate  it." 

Perplexed,  Lady  Judith  wrinkled  her  dainty  forehead 
and  John  continued:  "It  is  not  from  breaking  a  divine 
law  that  men  suffer,  but  from  the  belief  in  a  power 
apart  from  God." 


276  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"Still,"  said  Lady  Judith,  "we  continually  hear  it 
said  that  men  suffer  from  breaking  the  law  of 
God." 

"I  think,"  replied  John,  "that  the  misapprehension 
in  your  mind  arises  from  the  misuse  of  the  word  break. 
To  break  a  law  would  really  mean  to  annul  it;  but  as 
it  is  commonly  used,  to  break  means  simply  to  violate, 
or  disobey.  For  disobeying  divine  laws,  men  must 
necessarily  suffer.  To  annul  atiy  law  of  God  is  im- 
possible. It  is  only  so-called  material  laws  that  can  be 
annulled;  and  just  in  proportion  as  we  come  to  realize 
this,  we  find  that  in  obeying  the  law  of  God,  Spirit,  we 
break  with  impunity  the  laws  of  matter,  because  we 
really  do  annul  them.     Do  you  understand  ?" 

"I  think  I  do,"  replied  Lady  Judith  slowly.  "And 
I  begin  to  see,  also,  that  the  so-called  laws  of  sin,  sick- 
ness and  death,  because  based  upon  material  untruth, 
are  no  laws  at  all.  They  are  simply  a  belief  in  the 
absence  of  divine  law — in  the  absence  of  God's  Spiritual 
law." 

"Exactly,"  replied  John. 

"That  must  have  been  Jesus'  viewpoint,"  said  Lucy, 
"for  just  consider  for  a  moment  how  many  of  these 
so-called  material  laws  were  annulled  by  his  under- 
standing of  the  omnipotence  of  Spirit — the  realization 
that  spiritual  law  is  the  only  law.  In  the  same  way 
we  may  annul  the  seeming  law  which  would  bring 
discord,  strife  and  war." 

"How?"  asked  Lady  Judith. 

"By  knowing,  as  you  have  just  said,  that  there  are 
no  mortal  laws  of  discord  to  break ;  because  the  universe, 
including    man,  is  now,  always  has  been  and  always 


THE  DAWNING  OF  THE  FIRST  DAY    277 

will  be  governed  by  divine  law,  no  matter  how  strongly 
mortals — ignorant  of  their  origin,  their  nature  and 
their  future — may  think  to  the  contrary.  The  rule  by 
which  this  divine  Principle  is  applied  was  set  forth  by 
Christ  Jesus  in  two  words:  'Only  believe,' — not  blindly, 
but  with  understanding." 

"And  thus  believing,"  explained  John,  "to  proceed 
absolutely  without  fear  or  doubt,  knowing  that  He 
who  made  a  passage  for  the  children  of  Israel  through 
the  Red  sea,  will  open  a  broader  passage — not  only  for 
this  nation  but  for  the  nations  of  the  world — through  the 
sea  of  discord,  passion  and  inharmony  into  the  promised 
land  of  peace,  where  the  true  brotherhood  of  man  will 
be  established." 

For  a  space  there  was  silence,  all  being  busy  with 
their  thoughts.  Then  as  though  to  herself  Lady  Judith 
exclaimed : 

"With  enough  people  thinking  such  thoughts;  believ- 
ing in  the  omnipotence  of  such  a  God,  it  would  appear 
that  the  world  might  speedily  be  brought  into  the 
light  of  this  great  truth." 

"There  are  enough  now,"  declared  Lucy  emphati- 
cally. "I  feel  that  the  time  is  ripe  to  prove  it.  This 
fearful  manifestation  of  error  is  but  the  beginning  of  a 
chemicalization  in  which  truth  will  neutralize  the 
caustic  and  corroding  influence  of  that  evil  expressed 
in  war,  with  the  soothing  and  healing  power  of  Love, 
under  whose  wings  there  is  peace." 

As  she  ceased  speaking  Lucy  arose  from  her  chair 
and  approached  an  engraving  of  that  wonderful 
painting  by  Riviere,  so  familiarly  known  as  "Daniel's 
Answer  to  the  Eang."     The  eyes  of  the  others  followed 


278  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

her.     For  a  moment  she  regarded  the  picture  and  then 
said  earnestly: 

"Even  as  Daniel  turned  his  back  upon  the  lions 
and  looked  to  that  spiritual  light  that  cometh  from 
above;  even  as  he  realized  his  dominion  over  anger, 
hatred  and  ferocity  expressed  through  these  wild  beasts, 
so  must  we  turn  our  back  upon  the  animal  passions — 
realizing  their  impotence — and  turn  to  God,  the  divine 
Principle,  if  we  would  be  able  to  say  with  Daniel: 
'  My  God  hath  sent  his  angel,  and  hath  shut  the  lions' 
mouths,  that  they  have  not  hurt  me:  forasmuch  as 
before  Him  innocency  was  found  in  me.' 

Even  in  this  hour  of  great  darkness,  Lucy's  face 
beamed  with  joy,  the  radiation  of  that  spiritual  purity 
which  enabled  her,  like  Daniel,  to  look  away  from  the 
material  counterfeit  to  the  spiritual  reality. 

"Here  at  last,"  thought  Lady  Judith,  "is  one  who 
can  answer  the  question  that  has  so  long  remained 
unanswered  for  me."  Then  as  a  little  sigh  escaped 
her  she  exclaimed: 

"Oh,  Mrs.  Winslow,  how  clearly  you  seem  to  see 
things!     You,  indeed,  have  found  happiness." 

The  sigh  and  the  voice  filled  with  a  great  longing, 
caused  Lucy  to  reply:  "Happiness  is  within  the  reach 
of  all." 

"And  what  would  you  say  was  the  sum  of  human 
happiness  ?"  interrogated  Lady  Judith,  leaning  forward 
and  partially  rising  from  her  chair  in  her  great  eager- 
ness. 

Lucy  bent  upon  the  young  woman  a  look  of  the 
greatest  sweetness  and  tenderness.  "There  is  no  such 
thing  as  the  sum  of  human  happiness,"  she  said  softly 


THE  DAWNING  OF  THE  FIRST  DAY    279 

as  she  approached  and  laid  her  hand  caressingly  upon 
the  shapely  head,  covered  with  its  wealth  of  shining 
tresses.  "Happiness  is  not  human;  it  is  divine. 
'Blessed  are  they  which  do  hunger  and  thirst  after 
righteousness;  for  they  shall  be  filled,'  said  Christ  Jesus. 
It  is  only  they  who  hunger  and  thirst  after  righteousness 
— spirituality,  who  shall  in  any  way  be  filled;  for  the 
substance  of  Spirit — divine  Truth  and  Love,  is  all  that 
ever  truly  satisfieth.  'Seek  ye  first  the  kingdom  of 
God  and  its  righteousness  and  all  these  things  shall 
be  added  unto  you.'  " 

Lady  Judith  hung  upon  Lucy's  words.  She  was  at 
last  beginning  to  grasp  the  real  import  and  to  under- 
stand the  application  of  those  wonderful  truths  which 
for  so  long  had  evaded  her. 

As  the  meaning  of  Lucy's  words  became  clearer  and 
clearer,  Lady  Judith's  face  began  to  radiate  the  same 
light  that  illumined  the  countenance  of  her  teacher. 
It  was  as  when  the  first  rays  of  the  rising  sun  tinge 
the  departing  clouds  of  night,  and  then,  dispelling 
them  altogether  fill  the  heavens  and  the  earth  beneath 
with  joy  and  sunshine. 

Love  had  said:  "Let  there  be  light."  The  evening 
had  passed,  and  upon  the  young  marchioness  was 
dawning  the  morning  of  the  first  day. 

Realizing  the  spiritual  awakening  that  was  taking 
place,  John  arose  and  silently  left  them  alone — together. 


CHAPTER  XII 

BREAKING   PRISON   BARS 

As  John  closed  the  door  softly  behind  him,  and 
started  down  the  hall,  he  noted  that  the  great  clock  on 
the  stairs  pointed  to  the  hour  of  eight. 

"Just  time,"  he  said  to  himself,  "for  a  little  right 
thought  before  I  meet  the  admirals." 

Passing  down  the  stairs  toward  the  library  he  caught 
the  faint  sound  of  the  doorbell,  and  before  he  *iould 
seat  himself  a  servant  approached  with  a  letter. 

John  broke  the  seal  and  glanced  at  the  signature. 
It  was  from  Tom.  "Come  at  once!"  he  read.  "You 
must  know  the  truth.  I  fear  even  to  suggest  it  to 
anyone  else." 

John  studied  the  letter  for  several  minutes.  Could 
it  be  possible  that  Tom  had  something  to  confess.  He 
could  not  believe  it;  and  still  the  letter  was  peculiar  to 
say  the  least.  It  had  evidently  been  written  under 
great  excitement,  for  the  hand  which  had  held  the  pen 
had  trembled  and  hesitated. 

"I  ivill  know  the  tmth!"  exclaimed  John  with  empha- 
sis. "And  the  truth  that  I  shall  know  will  make  us 
all  free. 

"Is  there  a  conveyance  handy?"  he  asked  of  the 
servant. 

"Waiting  at  the  curb,  sir." 
280 


BREAKING  PRISON  BARS  281 

Placing  the  letter  in  his  pocket  John  followed  the 
man  to  the  door,  entered  the  cab  and  was  whirled 
away. 

But  he  had  no  cause  to  worry  about  Tom.  That 
young  man  was  doing  very  well  in  all  that  the  word 
implies.  For  Tom  was  beginning  to  feel  that  activity 
of  Spirit  which  is  the  one  real  force  of  the  universe. 

Ever  since  the  day  that  Jackey  had  asked  him  to 
make  the  little  book  talk,  he  had,  as  narrated,  devoted 
a  large  portion  of  his  time  to  reading  aloud  from  the 
Bible  and   Science  and   Health.     Especially    had    he 
studied  the  words  of  Jesus  in  conjunction  with  the 
chapter  on   Prayer  and   many  times   had   he   silently 
echoed  the  request  of  the  disciples:  "Teach  us  to  pray." 
Once  as  he  sat  silently  trying  to  realize  the  allness  of 
God  and  to  apply  his  understanding  of  this  truth  to  his 
own  case,  Jackey  had  asked: 
"What  Mister  Tom  doing.?" 
"Praying,"  answered  Tom  quietly. 
Jackey  had  looked  at  him  in  surprise.     "How  pray  ?" 
he  asked.     "Mister  Tom  say  nothin'." 

"Have  I  not  just  read  to  you  from  the  little  book 
that  desire  is  prayer.?" 

"Jackey  cannot  see.  How  anybody  know  what 
Jackey  want,  if  Jackey  not  tell  ?" 

Tom  thought  long  and  earnestly.  How  was  he  to 
answer  this  question  so  that  this  untutored  bushman 
could  understand;  for  in  spite  of  all  that  Tom  had 
explained  of  the  teachings  of  the  Bible,  Jackey  had  not 
yet  been  able  to  gain  any  idea  of  God  except  as  the 
exaggerated  double  of  the  men  he  saw  walking  the 
earth.     Spirit,  to  Jackey,  meant  nothing.     He  could 


282  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

comprehend  God  as  nothing  but  a  huge,  shadowy 
something,  bigger  than  many  men  combined.  He 
might  even  be  as  big  as  a  mountain. 

But  if  Jackey  had  not  grown  any  under  his  tutelage, 
Tom  felt  that  within  his  own  self  there  was  much 
growth.  He  was  beginning  to  realize  that  in  propor- 
tion as  he  gave,  in  an  exactly  corresponding  ratio  had 
he  received.  Now,  as  he  tried  to  think  of  a  simple 
and  satisfactory  reply  to  Jackey's  question — a  reply 
that  Jackey  could  understand,  he  noted  that  Jackey 
was  removing  some  buttons  from  a  coat  which  he  had 
recently  bought. 

"What  are  you  doing?"  he  asked. 

"Changing  the  buttons." 

"What  for?" 

Jackey  looked  up  in  surprise.  "Mister  Tom  not 
want  'em  changed  ?"  he  asked. 

"Of  course  I  want  them  changed,  but  how  did  you 
know?     I  never  told  you." 

"They  ought  to  be  changed,"  declared  Jackey 
emphatically. 

"And  because  it  is  right  that  they  should  be  changed, 
you  knew  I  wanted  it  done,  even  without  my  asking; 
didn't  you  ?" 

Jackey  nodded  his  head. 

"Well,  it  is  just  the  same  with  God.  Because  he 
knows  that  man  really  wants  only  what  is  right  and 
good — no  matter  how  much  we  may  think  we  want 
something  else — He  has  already  prepared  for  his 
children  all  good  things.  Now  the  very  minute  we 
have  a  desire  for  these  good  things  and  begin  to  seek 
them,  we  find  them  in  abundance;  just  as  I  shall  find 


BREAKING  PRISON  BARS  283 

these  buttons  changed  when  I  come  to  need  the  coat. 
This  is  the  way  God  hears  and  answers  unspoken 
prayers.  But  he  will  not  answer  if  we  ask  amiss — if 
we  desire  evil  instead  of  good." 

Jackey  grinned.  "Mister  Tom  tell  things  better 
than  he  did." 

"Then  you  think  I  am  improving?" 

"  Improving  ?     What's  that  ?" 

"You  think  I  am  getting  better.?" 

"May  be."  Then  in  a  burst  of  confidence.  "But 
Mister  Tom  all  right  all  the  time,  only  he  not  know  it." 

This  afternoon  when  nearly  everyone  had  left  the 
harbor,  Tom  had  resumed  his  reading  to  Jackey.  So 
interested  was  he  in  the  occupation  that  he  had  not 
noticed  the  lapse  of  time  until,  like  the  rest  of  the  city, 
he  was  startled  by  the  explosion.  Springing  to  the 
window  he  had  seen  the  same  sight  as  that  seen  by 
Admiral  Moreland,  but  from  a  somewhat  different  view- 
point. What  impressed  Tom  was  the  fact  that  the 
explosions  started  down  the  bay,  and  that  while  they 
followed  each  other  with  startling  rapidity,  those  about 
the  warships  had  been  almost  simultaneous. 

Intuitively  Tom  felt  that  the  explosions  were  a  part 
of  the  same  plot  which  had  brought  him  into  trouble. 
Why  he  could  not  tell.  He  had  noted  the  complete 
change  in  the  anchorage  of  the  fleets,  and  while  he 
did  not  know  the  cause,  the  placing  of  the  flagships 
near  the  royal  yacht  in  conjunction  with  the  Guelphian 
vessels,  had  seemed  to  him  not  only  picturesque  but 
wise.  Now  that  he  perceived  that  there  was  no 
explosion  in  the  upper  part  (rf  the  harbor,  he  began  to 
wonder  more  than  ever. 


284  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

That  the  disaster  would  have  some  sort  of  an  effect 
upon  his  own  affairs  he  felt  absolutely  certain. 
What  that  effect  might  be  he  could  only  surmise.  It 
might  free  him  or  it  might  plunge  him  into  still  deeper 
trouble.  But  at  least  it  was  maddening  to  be  confined 
here,  for  nothing,  when  such  events  were  happening 
on  the  outside. 

For  hours,  until  the  sun  set,  he  and  Jackey  stood 
watching  the  work  in  the  harbor.  They  said  little, 
as  Tom  was  busy  with  his  own  thoughts. 

"Plenty  trouble  now,"  remarked  Jackey,  as  he  saw 
a  dozen  or  more  Guelphian  battleships  steam  into 
sight  down  the  bay. 

"In  the  absence  of  spiritual  understanding,  the  war- 
ships are  the  best  thing  I  know  to  keep  trouble  in 
check,"  declared  Tom. 

"But  what  use  are  warships.?"  queried  Jackey, 
"when  the  debbil  get  under  'em  like  that?"  and  he 
pointed  to  the  disabled  vessels. 

Tom  made  no  reply.  He  saw  too  well  the  force  of 
Jackey's  remarks. 

Footsteps  were  heard  in  the  corridor.  Looking  at 
his  watch,  Tom  remarked  that  it  must  be  the  waiter 
from  the  restaurant  after  their  order  for  supper.  But 
when  the  door  opened,  instead  of  the  waiter,  there  was 
ushered  in  an  aged  German,  whom  he  recognized  as 
an  employe  of  the  navy  department  know  as  old 
Herman.  Whether  that  was  his  given  or  surname  Tom 
had  never  taken  the  trouble  to  find  out.  He  had  always 
considered  the  old  chap  a  bit  unbalanced,  but  absolutely 
harmless;  and  like  several  of  the  other  young  fellows 
about  the  department  had  frequently  loaned  him  small 


BREAKING  PRISON  BARS  285 

sums  of  money.  In  fact,  old  Herman  was  looked  upon 
as  a  sort  of  a  pensioner  of  the  government,  and  was 
kept  upon  the  payroll  because  at  some  time  away  in 
the  past  he  had  stumbled  upon  a  method  of  combustion 
which  had  resulted  in  the  discovery  of  how  to  generate 
electricity  without  the  use  of  coal.  For  this  he  had 
been  given  a  place  in  the  experimental  station  and  ever 
since  had  been  busy  upon  some  wonderful  invention, 
the  nature  of  which  none  of  those  to  whom  he  occasion- 
ally applied  for  small  loans  had  ever  taken  the  trouble 
to  find  out. 

There  was  not  a  person  of  Tom's  acquaintance  whose 
appearance  at  this  moment  would  have  created  greater 
surprise;  there  was  not  one  of  all  the  employes  in  the 
department  from  whom  he  would  have  so  little  expected 
a  friendly  call.  But  when  a  man  is  shut  away  from  the 
rest  of  the  world,  he  is  glad  to  see  anyone  who  can 
break  the  monotony.  And  so  it  was  that  Tom  gave 
the  old  man  a  friendly  greeting. 

"Well,  Well,  Herman!"  he  exclaimed  as  he  ex- 
tended his  hand,  which  the  other  grasped  nervously. 
"I  am  glad  to  see  you.  I  was  just  wishing  that  some- 
one would  come  and  bring  me  some  news." 

The  old  man  smiled  in  his  peculiar  manner,  as  he 
replied  with  even  more  nervousness  than  usual:  "It 
was  well  done,  was  it  not  ?" 

"I  should  say  that  it  was  very  badly  done.  Who- 
ever had  charge  of  the  work  must  have  made  an  awful 
blunder." 

Herman  looked  at  him  in  a  dazed  and  helpless 
manner.  "Do  you  think  so.?"  he  asked,  and  his  voice 
trembled .     "Do  you  think  the  king  will  not  be  pleased  ? ' ' 


286  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"Pleased,"  ejaculated  Tom  as  he  looked  intently  at 
Herman  and  noted  his  pallid  face  and  restless  eyes. 
"Pleased?  Why,  man,  have  you  completely  lost  your 
senses  ?'* 

Herman  laughed  a  strange,  weird  laugh  as  he  replied 
with  a  cunning  leer:  "Senses?  Oh,  no.  I  haf  plenty 
of  sense.  You  need  not  be  afraid.  I  understand." 
And  again  he  laughed  a  mirthless  laugh  that  convinced 
Tom  that  he  must  have  been  completely  unbalanced  by 
the  great  disaster. 

"You  must  not  talk  like  that,"  he  said  kindly. 

"Oh,  I  would  not  to  anyone  else,"  Herman  whis- 
pered.    "  But  you  are  in  the  secret.     The  king  knows." 

Tom  started  to  laugh,  but  something  in  the  other's 
manner  caused  him,  instead,  to  recoil  suddenly  as  from 
a  blow.  Then  seizing  Herman  by  the  arm  he  dragged 
him  to  the  window  where  he  could  better  observe  his 
face. 

"I  haf  said  nothing,"  exclaimed  Herman  in  terror 
utterly  mistaking  Tom's  purpose.  "Do  not  throw  me 
out.     I  will  not  betray  you." 

"Betray  me!"  almost  shouted  Tom.  "Betray  me! 
Do  you  know  what  you  are  talking  about  ?" 

Herman's  mood  suddenly  changed.  "Of  course  I 
know  what  I  am  talking  about,"  he  replied  with  sudden 
fierceness.  "You  cannot  fool  me.  The  lady  told  me 
why  you  are  here."  And  then  coming  close  to  Tom: 
"And  I  am  not  to  be  made  a  fool  of  either.  Do  you 
hear  that  ?  I  am  the  one  to  be  rewarded.  I  am  the 
one  to  get  the  title.  Me!  Me!  Me!  Do  you  hear?  Me!" 

In  his  excitement  he  beat  his  breast  with  his  hands 
and  his  voice  was  raised  almost  to  a  shriek. 


BREAKING  PRISON  BARS  £87 

For  a  moment  it  seemed  as  though  he  were  about  to 
attack  Tom,  and  so  Jackey,  stepping  up  behind  him, 
pinioned  his  arms  just  as  the  guard,  attracted  by  his 
voice,  entered  the  room. 

"What's  the  matter?"  asked  the  guard  . 

*'It  is  old  Herman,"  explained  Tom.  "I  think  the 
explosions  have  completely  crazed  him.  Can't  you 
put  him  where  he  will  be  safe  until  I  can  send  word  to 
a  friend  who  will  care  for  him." 

"Sure,"  said  the  guard.  "But  this  is  no  insane 
asylum.  He  said  he  was  a  friend  of  yours,  and  as  we 
have  orders  to  admit  all  of  your  friends,  I  let  him  in." 

"I  am  glad  you  did,"  and  Tom  took  a  bank  note 
from  his  pocket  and  handed  it  to  the  guard.  "Make 
him  as  comfortable  as  you  can  and  send  me  a  mes- 
senger." 

"All  right,  sir,"  said  the  guard  touching  his  hat. 
Then  placing  his  hand  on  Herman's  arm:  "Come 
along,  old  man." 

Seeing  that  Herman's  passion  had  subsided,  Jackey 
released  him,  and  he  stood  dazed  and  helpless  until 
the  guard  took  him  by  the  arm  and  led  him  away. 
Then  it  was  that  Tom  had  sent  for  John  Winslow. 

The  interview  between  Tom  and  John  had  been 
earnest  and  as  long  as  John's  time  would  permit. 
Herman's  malady  was  discussed,  and  it  was  determined 
that  he  should  be  removed  at  once  to  Oxley  House  and 
put  under  Lucy's  care.  The  suspicions  which  his 
words  had  aroused  were  to  be  carefully  concealed, 
and  it  was  decided  that  before  any  mention  whatever 
was  made  of  these  suspicions,  either  to  the  Duke  or  to 
Sir  Allin,  a  plan  which  Tom  suggested  should  be  tried. 


288  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

As  John  was  leaving  he  grasped  Tom  by  the  hand 
and  said  earnestly: 

"Remember,  my  boy,  you  can  do  just  as  good  work 
here  as  though  you  were  free  to  walk  the  streets.  Put 
aside  all  thoughts  of  fear,  anger  and  revenge,  and 
strive  to  realize  that  eternal  energy  of  Truth,  which 
will  destroy  the  darkness  of  suspicion,  break  down  the 
prison  walls  of  deceit  and  set  the  captive  free." 


CHAPTER  XIII 

AFTER   THE   MANNER   OF   MEN 

Fortified  in  his  realization  of  the  omnipotence  of 
good  by  the  events  of  the  past  two  hours,  it  was  with  a 
feeling  of  perfect  confidence  that  Principle  was  direct- 
ing his  steps  that  John  entered  the  cabinet  room  in  the 
Parliament  House,  where  he  was  to  meet  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  powers. 

When  he  arrived,  all  the  interested  parties  to  the 
number  of  nearly  thirty,  had  assembled.  Those 
present  included  in  addition  to  the  five  admirals,  each 
with  his  flag  captain  and  one  staff  officer,  the  ambas- 
sadors of  Vaalmara,  Madagascar,  Eiland,  Luzonia 
and  Nippon,  Admiral  Moreland  of  Guelph  and  staff, 
the  Duke  of  Lackland,  Lord  Aukland,  minister  of 
foreign  affairs,  and  his  private  secretary,  Blucher.  It 
was  an  august  assemblage  and  there  was  on  the  faces 
of  all  a  look  of  determination,  that  gave  ample  evi- 
dence of  the  strain  they  had  undergone  and  were  still 
undergoing. 

In  opening,  John  referred  very  briefly  to  the  events 
of  the  afternoon,  complimented  the  foreign  oflficers  for 
the  willingness  they  had  shown  to  assist  in  keeping 
order  and  the  admirable  result  of  their  efforts;  paid  a 
tribute  to  the  government  of  Guelph  for  its  open- 
handed  liberality  and  closed  by  saying: 

289 


290  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"The  matter  now  before  us  gentlemen,  is  to  decide 
upon  the  most  amicable  and  haimonious  manner  of 
continuing  the  present  relations,  until  such  time  as  the 
men  can  either  be  provided  with  transportation  home, 
DT  until  such  other  action  may  be  taken,  as  your  re- 
spective governments  see  fit. 

"I  am  informed  that  the  diplomatic  representatives 
of  all  the  powers  have  sent  home  reports  of  the  disaster. 
Of  course  none  have  been  able,  nor  have  any  attempted 
to  give  the  cause  of  the  disaster,  although  I  am  sure 
the  cause  will  be  speedily  ascertained  by  an  investi- 
gating commission,  on  which  all  interested  parties  shall 
be  represented.  For  the  moment,  our  task  is  to  decide 
upon  how  to  best  maintain  order  and  care  for  the  men 
— not  to  determine  the  cause  of  the  disaster. 

"The  first  question  at  issue,  judging  from  the  re- 
marks made  at  the  meeting  this  afternoon,  is  to  deter- 
mine upon  the  wisdom  of  returning  their  arms  to  the 
men." 

There  was  a  moment's  pause  and  then  Senor  Ramon 
Aguerra,  ambassador  from  the  United  States  of  Luzon 
and  dean  of  the  diplomatic  corps,  arose.  He  was  a 
man  of  distinguished  bearing,  of  courtly  manner  and 
trained  in  diplomacy  from  his  youth.  With  dignity 
he  referred  io  the  events  now  so  familiar  to  all,  and 
expressed  his  profound  regret  for  their  occurrence  and 
his  sympathy  for  the  kingdom  of  Guelph. 

"But,"  he  declared,  "it  is  almost  an  impossibility 
for  my  government,  and  I  think  I  might  likewise  say 
for  the  other  governments  here  represented,  to  decide 
upon  any  basis  of  relationship  with  this  kingdom,  until 
we  know  positively  that  this  great  disaster  is  not  part 


AFTER  THE  MANNER  OF  MEN        291 

of  a  plot,  to  which  its  accredited  government  is  a  party. 

"While  I  quite  agree  with  the  wise  opinion  of  our 
distinguished  arbitrator,  that  the  matter  for  us  to  decide 
is  a  modus  viviendi,  until  something  definite  can  be 
determined,  I  cannot  see  how  we  shall  be  able  to  treat 
with  our  neighbor  nation  until  we  are  satisfied  that  she 
has  come  into  this  court  with  clean  hands." 

He  took  his  seat  amidst  a  breathless  silence.  Then, 
as  by  a  common  impulse,  all  eyes  were  turned  upon  the 
Duke  of  Lackland.  It  was  a  trying  ordeal;  but  armed 
with  a  consciousness  of  right  he  did  not  fear  to  under- 
take it. 

"My  Lords  and  gentlemen,"  he  said  gravely,  as  he 
arose  in  his  place,  "I  have  heard  with  the  deepest 
regret  the  words  of  our  distinguished  friend  from  the 
great  Republic  of  Luzon.  I  regret  first  of  all  that  he 
should  have  had  any  occasion  to  be  a  member  of  such 
an  assemblage  as  this.  I  regret  also  that  there  should 
have  arisen  anything  to  disturb  the  friendly  relations 
which  have  so  long  existed  between  these  nations. 
But  most  of  all  do  I  regret  that  anyone  should  so  far 
question  the  integrity  of  this  nation  and  its  government 
as  to  even  suggest  that  it  could  be  a  party  to  any  plot 
which  would  result  in  such  a  terrible  disaster  as  that 
which  has  occurred  in  our  harbor. 

"My  Lords  and  gentlemen,"  he  continued  earnestly, 
"what  motive,  what  policy,  what  wisdom  can  any  of 
you  see  in  such  an  act  ?  Had  the  kingdom  of  Guelph 
desired  to  ostracise  herself  completely  from  the  great 
society  of  nations;  had  she  wished  to  make  her  fair 
name  a  reproach  among  the  powers  of  the  earth;  had 
she  wished  to  commit  national  suicide,  she  could  have 


292  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

taken  no  more  direct  way  than  to  have  lent  herself  to 
such  a  deed. 

"At  such  a  time  as  this  I  appreciate  how  poor  a  thing 
are  words;  no  one  more  so.  But  I  should  be  untrue 
to  our  king,  our  government  and  our  people,  did  I  not 
utterly  deny  any  responsibility  for  the  events  which 
have  made  this  meeting  necessary  and  stamp  as  en- 
tirely unauthorized  and  unworthy  any  suggestion  to  the 
contrary." 

An  exclamation  of  resentment  against  his  language 
escaped  the  foreigners,  but  without  giving  an  oppor- 
tunity for  a  reply  the  duke  continued: 

"My  Lords  and  gentlemen,  it  is  an  open  secret  that 
this  great  naval  demonstration,  planned  by  our  neigh- 
boring nations  without  so  much  as  an  invitation  to  us 
to  join  therein,  had  largely  for  its  motive  the  intimida- 
tion of  Guelph.  We  were  to  be  shown  what  ?  That 
we  were  not  powerful  enough  to  attempt  a  thing, 
which  we  had  not  even  dreamed  of  attempting.  And 
now  that  this  accident — for  I  am  satisfied  that  such  it 
was — has  occurred,  Guelph  is  practically  charged  with 
the  dastardly  deed. 

"Gentlemen,"  and  the  duke's  voice  and  manner 
were  fully  in  keeping  with  his  words,  "had  you  not 
entered  our  harbor  with  your  minds  prejudiced  against 
us  with  unjust  and  unrighteous  thoughts,  this  unwar- 
ranted accusation  would  never  have  been  made.  More 
than  that,  gentlemen !  So  satisfied  am  I  of  the  wisdom 
and  justice  of  God,  that  I  believe  had  you  entered  our 
harbor  with  your  minds  filled  solely  with  brotherly  love 
and  good  -u-ill,  this  disaster  would  never  have  occurred. 

"My    Lords    and    gentlemen,    the     government    of 


AFTER  THE  MANNER  OF  MEN        293 

Guelph  denies  any  responsibility  for  the  disaster  and 
knows  no  more  of  its  cause  than  you." 

So  surprised  were  the  foreign  representatives  that 
their  thoughts  had  been  thus  laid  bare  that  they  re- 
mained silent.  Even  John,  familiar  with  the  opinion 
of  the  western  powers,  was  surprised  at  the  directness 
of  the  charge.  Just  what  might  have  been  the  imme- 
diate result  of  the  duke's  words  it  would  be  difficult 
to  tell,  had  not  a  diversion  been  created  by  the  arrival 
of  a  special  messenger,  who  placed  in  the  duke's  hand 
a  large  envelope. 

Breaking  the  seal  the  duke  glanced  hastily  over 
the  enclosed  documents  and  then  rising  to  his  feet 
announced : 

"I  have  just  received  a  message  from  the  ambas- 
sador of  the  United  States  of  America  in  which  he 
announces  that  his  government  desires  to  offer  its  good 
services  in  determining  the  cause  of  the  disaster;  also 
that  the  president  has  appointed  the  Honorable  John 
Winslow,  envoy  extraordinary  and  commissioner  para- 
mount to  represent  it  in  the  premises." 

An  outburst  of  applause  followed  the  announcement, 
which  John  acknowledged  with  grave  courtesy,  remark- 
ing as  he  resumed  his  seat: 

"It  is  certainly  gratifying  to  know  that  my  own 
people  endorse  the  choice  you  gentlemen  have  made. 
And  it  will  not  only  be  my  aim  to  preside  with  wisdom 
and  justice  over  the  deliberations  of  this  body,  but  to 
prove  in  this  hour  of  doubt  and  fear,  that  God  is 
omnipotent.     I  am  sure  you,  gentlemen,  will  help  me." 

The  interruption  in  the  proceedings  had  not  been 
long,  but  it  was  sufficient  to  relax  the  tension,  and  when 


294  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

the  ambassador  from  Vaalmara  arose  to  answer  the 
duke,  his  words  were  much  more  moderate.  He  com- 
pletely ignored  the  question  of  responsibility  for  the 
disaster.  He  declared  that  the  charge  of  the  duke  had 
been  more  serious  than  he  considered  in  accordance 
with  facts,  but  he  was  willing  for  the  present  to  let  that 
pass.  Referring  to  the  matter  under  immediate  con- 
sideration he  declared  emphatically: 

"I,  for  one,  am  opposed  to  placing  arms  in  the  hands 
of  any  individuals  or  force  of  men,  when  their  passions 
are  aroused.  Even  war  is  conducted  upon  prescribed 
rules,  and  the  foremost  of  these  is  that  the  lives  of 
non-combatants  shall  not  be  unnecessarily  jeopardized." 

"But  the  flagships?"  enquired  the  Javanese  am- 
bassador. 

"They  are  at  liberty  to  leave  the  bay  at  any  time," 
said  John. 

"But  under  escort!"  exclaimed  von  Pelt. 

"Surely,  you  would  not  have  us  act  so  discourteously 
as  not  to  accompany  a  guest  to  the  door!"  retorted 
Admiral  Moreland,  at  which  a  broad  smile  spread 
itself  over  the  faces  of  most  of  those  present. 

It  was  the  psychological  moment  and  seizing  the 
opportunity  John  said:  "It  seems  that  there  is  really 
no  difference  of  opinion  at  all.  If  for  the  moment  we 
can  forget  that  we  are  diplomats  and  remember  only 
that  we  are  men,  I  am  sure  we  shall  see  that  the  ques- 
tion of  arms  is  not  an  issue.  What  say  you,  gentlemen  ?" 

"I  agree  with  you  perfectly,"  said  the  ambassador 
from  Luzon.  "The  matter  is  too  trivial  to  be  r.oQ- 
sidered." 

A  unanimous  murmur  of  assent  followed. 


AFTER  THE  MANNER  OF  IVIEN        295 

**For  the  present  then,"  said  John,  "we  will  allow 
matters  to  rest  in  statu  quo.'' 

"But,"  declared  Senor  Aguerra,  "I  wish  again  to 
make  plain  that  it  is  only  because  of  my  esteem  for  our 
distinguished  arbitrator  and  the  great  nation  he  repre- 
sents, that  I  am  willing  to  even  sit  in  this  assemblage 
until  the  question  I  first  raised  has  been  disposed  of. 
Too  well  am  I  acquainted  with  the  spirit  of  conquest 
that  has  ever  impelled  the  Anglo-Saxon  race." 

Had  another  explosion  occurred  in  the  harbor  with- 
out, it  could  not  have  created  greater  consternation, 
and  it  took  all  of  John's  understanding  to  enable  him 
to  hold  himself  in  check.  After  a  moment,  however, 
he  said  in  a  voice  of  great  firmness: 

"I  am  sorry  to  be  obliged  to  remind  the  distinguished 
gentleman  from  Luzonia  that  had  it  not  been  for  an 
Anglo-Saxon  race,  the  great  republic  which  he  now 
represents,  might  still  be  but  a  Spanish  possession. 

"But,"  he  continued,  "this  is  not  a  question  for  us 
to  decide — " 

"I  think  it  is,"  interrupted  Senor  Aguerra  a  bit  dis- 
comfited by  John's  rebuke.  "I  think  before  we  pro- 
ceed to  discuss  any  other  matter,  we  must  know  how  it 
is  that  our  ships  could  be  destroyed  and  not  the  slightest 
damage  result  to  the  warships  of  Guelph." 

"There  are  plenty  of  reasons,"  broke  in  Sir  William, 
"but  the  most  probable  is  that  the  great  bulk  of  the 
explosives  were  in  the  lower  bay." 

"Where  the  government  of  Guelph  took  good  care 
that  none  of  her  own  ships  should  be,"  sneered  von 
Pelt. 

"Gentlemen!"  exclaimed   John.     "I  shall  have  to 


296  THE  PEACEIVIAKERS 

ask  you  to  remember  where  you  are.  This  is  not  a  place 
for  criminations," 

"Where  such  a  crime  has  been  committed,"  declared 
Senor  Aguerra,  "criminations  must  follow." 

"I  deny  that  a  crime  has  been  committed!"  ejacu- 
lated the  duke  with  some  show  of  temper. 

John  rapped  sharply  for  order  and  in  a  voice  full  of 
dignity  exclaimed: 

"Shame  upon  you,  gentlemen!  Shame!  To  come  be- 
fore such  a  tribunal,  whose  only  power  is  that  which 
you,  yourselves,  bestow,  and  to  create  such  a  scene." 

"I  crave  pardon,"  said  the  duke  rising,  "both  of 
our  distinguished  chairman  and  of  the  ambassador  of 
Luzon." 

Senor  Aguerra  was  about  to  reply  when  the  door  of 
the  cabinet  room  was  thrown  suddenly  open  and  an 
aide  appeared. 

"A  message  from  the  king!"  he  cried. 

Everyone  turned  in  the  greatest  surprise. 

"I  am  commanded  to  say  to  you,  my  lord  Duke,  and 
to  you,  Mr.  Winslow  and  gentlemen,  that  your  meeting 
is  necessarily  dissolved.  The  Guelphian  ambassador 
at  Manila  has  been  handed  his  passports,  and  the 
Republic  of  Luzon  has  declared  war." 

Everyone  sprang  to  his  feet,  and  in  a  moment  there 
was  the  orreatest  confusion.  The  ambassadors  started 
to  leave  the  room,  but  their  way  was  barred  by  a  com- 
pany of  soldiers.  The  officers  drew  their  swords  and 
a  clash  seemed  inevitable.  Then  it  was  that  John's 
voice  arose  above  all  the  confusion: 

"Gentlemen,"  he  cried,  "be  calm.  I  pledge  you  my 
word  and  that  of  my  government  that  every  man  here 


APTER  THE  MANNER  OF  MEN        297 

shall  be  allowed  full  freedom  to  return  to  his  home." 

The  confusion  at  once  subsided  and  the  Duke  of 
Lackland  stepping  to  the  door  waved  back  the  officers. 

"Let  these  gentlemen  pass!"  he  commanded. 

The  soldiers  opened  ranks,  and  the  ambassadors 
and  other  foreign  representatives  passed  out  into  the 
streets  and  to  their  respective  embassies,  while  John 
took  his  motor  and  proceeded  at  once  to  the  American 
legation.  Upon  arriving  there  he  found  not  only  the 
ambassador  and  all  the  attaches  awaiting  him,  but  also 
Admiral  Dixon  and  staff,  who  had  by  chance  arrived 
in  the  bay  with  four  American  men-of-war  but  an  hour 
before. 

"We  had  expected  to  arrive  yesterday,"  the  admiral 
explained,  "but  were  detained  at  Sidney.  What  is 
this  I  hear  about  the  action  of  Luzonia?" 

Briefly  John  recounted  the  closing  events  of  the  meet- 
ing and  his  pledge  for  the  freedom  of  the  men. 

"And  you  shall  have  the  full  support  of  my  squadron 
in  making  your  pledge  good  !"exclaimed  Admiral  Dixon. 

"I  thank  you  for  your  offer,"  replied  John,  "but  I 
shall  not  need  it." 


CHAPTER  XIV 

MANACLED 

When  the  first  news  of  the  great  disaster  in  the 
harbor  at  Elmbom  reached  the  outside  world,  men 
and  nations  stood  aghast  at  what  they  considered  the 
enormity  of  the  crime.  That  any  nation  should 
undertake  to  destroy  practically  the  combined  fleets  of 
half  the  globe,  while  they  lay  peacefully  at  anchor  in 
its  harbor,  seemed  like  a  return  to  the  ISIiddle  Ages. 

It  was  naturally  expected  that  when  the  details  of 
the  disaster  began  to  arrive,  they  would  show  a  corre- 
sponding loss  of  life;  and  civilization — that  civilization 
which  could  stand  by  and  see  the  nations  of  the  earth 
in  "civilized"  warfare  destroy  billions  of  dollars  worth 
of  property  and  thousands  of  lives  with  hardly  a  mur- 
mur— almost  went  beside  itself  at  the  prospect.  Not 
only  were  the  nations  whose  ships  had  been  destroyed 
wild  with  excitement,  but  the  western  nations  as  well. 
In  the  former  the  excitement  took  the  form  of  demon- 
strations against  the  Guelphians  and  their  embassies, 
while  in  the  latter  it  took  the  form  of  newspaper  extras 
and  a  corresponding  amount  of  discussion  in  public 
places,  where  men  who  are  unable  to  manage  even 
their  own  affairs  successfully,  are  wont  to  meet  daily  to 
settle  the  fate  of  nations. 

But  when  the  official  reports  began  to  come  in  from 
298 


MANACLED  299 

the  legations  and  the  admirals  themselves,  and  not 
only  was  the  loss  of  life  found  to  be  insignificant,  but  it 
also  developed  that  very  likely  the  disaster  would  be 
proven  an  accident,  the  excitement  in  a  measure 
subsided;  and  it  is  altogether  probable,  that  if  let 
alone,  even  the  nations  most  interested  would  have 
done  nothing  until  such  time  as  a  proper  investiga- 
tion could  have  been  made. 

But  here  it  was  that  env>',  hatred  and  ambition 
showed  their  malign  influence. 

Almost  upon  the  heels  of  these  official  reports  came 
rumors  of  a  deep  laid  plot  that  again  set  all  the  world 
aflame. 

Owing  to  the  difference  of  time,  it  was  early  in  the 
forenoon  when  the  news  first  reached  New  York  and 
was  thence  sent  broadcast  over  the  United  States. 
Expecting  just  such  news,  the  Honorable  George  Benton 
had  remained  in  Chicago  awaiting  developments, 
while  ostensibly  studying  economic  conditions  in  this 
most  remarkable  of  all  American  cities.  He  made 
himself  acquainted  with  many  leading  citizens  and* 
visited  many  of  the  great  manufacturing  and  commer- 
cial institutions.  He  made  at  least  half  a  dozen  post 
prandial  speeches  before  commercial  bodies  and  studi- 
ously cultivated  the  members  of  the  peace  society.  He 
even  once  called  upon  Dorothy  Howerton.  In  short, 
he  made  himself  as  much  as  possible,  in  a  ten  days 
visit,  a  part  of  the  metropolis  of  the  central  west. 

On  this  fateful  day  he  had  just  completed  his  morn- 
ing toilet  when  Saunders  entered  the  room  with  an 
extra.  The  secretary's  face  was  blanched  and  the 
hand  that  held  the  paper  trembled. 


300  THE  PEACEIVIAKERS 

"Terrible  news  from  Elmborn!"  he  exclaimed. 
"There  has  been  a  fearful  disaster  in  the  harbor  and 
the  fleets  of  the  Orient  have  been  destroyed." 

For  a  moment  Benton  changed  color  and  a  tremor 
passed  over  his  stalwart  form.  Then,  recovering  him- 
self by  a  mighty  effort  he  exclaimed  in  the  greatest 
surprise: 

"The  fleets  of  the  Orient  destroyed?  Impossible!" 

"That  is  what  the  dispatches  say,"declared  Saunders. 

"And  is  Guelph  then  without  a  navy?" 

"Oh,  no,  sir!  The  dispatch  states  that  not  a  single 
Guelphian  vessel  was  injured." 

Benton  reached  for  the  paper. 

"And  are  there  no  details  given?"  he  asked. 

"No,  sir.  Just  the  bare  announcement.  Not  even 
the  number  of  lives  lost." 

"This  is  terrible,"  said  Benton  glancing  over  the 
short  item  set  in  type  that  almost  covered  the  page. 
"Our  poor  country!  This  will  be  a  terrible  blow  to 
the  Lackland  government.  How  could  they  have  been 
.so  insane?" 

"What  do  you  mean,  sir?" 

Benton  bent  upon  Saunders  a  searching  glance  as 
he  replied:  "Can't  you  see  this  must  have  been  a 
premeditated  affair?" 

Saunders  sank  into  a  chair. 

"Impossible!"  he  gasped. 

"So  any  sane  man  would  think;  but  how  else  can  it 
be  accounted  for?" 

Saunders  made  no  reply. 

"I  had  feared  some  such  folly,*'  continued  Benton, 


MANACLED  SOI 

"and  I  am  certainly  in  luck  to  have  left  the  country; 
but  go  see  if  there  is  not  a  later  edition." 

Saunders  mechanically  left  the  room.  As  he  closed 
the  door  behind  him  Benton's  face  assumed  that  look 
of  malign  satisfaction  which  had  so  impressed  Dorothy, 
and  turning  to  the  mirror  he  surveyed  himself  long  and 
critically.  The  thoughts  that  passed  through  his  mind 
are  known  only  to  himself — to  that  false  self  of  which 
Jesus  said:  "Ye  are  of  your  father  the  devil,  and 
the  lusts  of  your  father  ye  will  do.  He  was  a  murderer 
from  the  beginning  and  abode  not  in  the  truth,  be- 
cause there  is  no  truth  in  him.  When  he  speaketh  a 
lie  he  speaketh  of  his  own ;  for  he  is  a  liar  and  the  father 
of  it."  And  yet,  as  Benton  heard  Saunders'  hand  upon 
the  door,  he  turned  from  the  contemplation  of  his 
mirrored  self  exclaiming:  "Homo  sum!  Yes,  I  am  a 
man!" 

The  change  in  Saunders'  face  when  he  re-entered 
Benton's  presence  was  so  marked  that  the  latter  at 
once  noted  it. 

"Much  better  news,"  declared  the  secretary  holding 
out  the  paper.  "The  loss  of  life  will  be  less  than  one 
hundred  and  the  explosion  was  doubtless  due  to  an 
accident." 

Benton  hastily  took  the  paper  from  the  outstretched 
hand.  As  he  glanced  over  the  columns  his  face  as- 
sumed an  expression  so  fearful  that  Saunders,  watching 
him,  drew  back  with  an  involuntary  exclamation. 
The  sound  brought  Benton  quickly  to  himself  and  he 
raised  his  eyes  with  a  movement,  which,  to  his  secretary, 
ever  meant  determination  and  action. 


302  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"Call  a  messenger,"  he  commanded. 
Then  he  seated  himself  at  the  table  and  penned  these 
two  dispatches,  the  latter  in  cipher: 

Lacklanb,  premier,  Elmborn — My  sympathy  and  homage  to  the 
king.     If  I  can  be  of  ser\'ice  command  me. 

Benton. 

The  other  read: 

Bltjcheb — Hotel  Victoria,  Elmborn:  Sentiment  changing.  Out- 
line government  plot  to  press.  B. 

He  handed  the  messenger  a  bill  of  large  dimension. 
"Tell  the  chief  to  rush  these  through — and  keep  the 
change." 

Then  to  Saunders:  "Notify  the  press  that  I  will  have 
a  statement  to  give  out  in  half  an  hour,  and  call  a 
stenographer." 

Turning  to  the  table  he  wrote  rapidly  for  five  minutes. 

"Type  this,"  he  said  handing  what  he  had 
written  to  Saunders  as  the  stenographer  appeared. 

Then  for  &,nother  five  minutes  he  dictated  rapidly. 
It  was  a  message  to  the  citizens  of  the  United  States  in 
behalf  of  Guelph,  stating  that  as  a  member  of  the  Guelph- 
ian  parliament  he  felt  he  must  say  this  much.  The 
message  was  adroitly  written  to  give  the  impression  of 
the  most  profound  regret  for  what  appeared  to  be  a 
most  extraordinary  accident,  but  closed  with  these  words : 

"As  a  member  of  parliament,  I  can  assure  the  Ameri- 
can people  that  a  searching  investigation  will  be 
made  and  if  there  should  be  found  the  slightest  proof 
of  a  crime,  even  though  the  criminal  were  the  greatest 
peer  in  the  realm — yes,  even  though  it  were  the  king 
himself,  he  shall  be  punished." 


MANACLED  303 

When  the  reporters  called  for  his  statement  he 
refused  to  see  them,  declaring  that  he  was  too  deeply 
affected  by  the  news  to  make  a  personal  interview  pos- 
sible. Then  he  sent  Saunders  to  the  various  news- 
papers to  express  his  regret,  and,  dismissing  the  stenog- 
rapher, again  sat  down  to  his  table.  He  wrote  hurried- 
ly and  feverishly.  Time  and  again  he  tore  up  what 
he  had  written.  At  last  he  seemed  satisfied  and  again 
summoned  a  messenger. 

"  Get  this  off  to  Manila  at  once,"  he  said. 

Closing  the  door  he  resumed  his  writing  and  again, 
time  after  time,  tore  up  what  he  had  written.  Then 
he  suddenly  paused  and  arising  from  the  table  paced 
the  floor. 

After  some  moments  he  once  more  seated  himself 
and  took  up  his  pen.  He  started  to  write — paused 
and  passed  his  hand  over  his  forehead.  A  great  inde- 
cision seemed  to  have  come  upon  him.  He  sat  up- 
right in  his  chair  and  for  several  minutes  seemed 
wrapped  in  thought,  utterly  oblivious  to  his  surroundings. 

Suddenly  he  started  and  arose  quickly  to  his  feet. 
He  glanced  hastily  around  the  room  and  raising  his 
hands  above  his  head,  while  his  face  blanched  and  the 
sweat  stood  in  great  drops  upon  his  forehead,  cried  out 
in  a  voice  of  terror  and  anguish: 

"My  God!  My  God!  What  have  I  done?  O 
miserable  man  that  I  am!  May  God  have  mercy 
upon  me!" 

His  knees  trembled,  his  form  tottered  and  with  a 
groan  of  indescribable  anguish  he  fell  prostrate  upon  the 
floor,  writhing  and  groaning  like  one,  whom  to  destroy, 
the  "gods  first  make  mad." 


304  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

Arrested  by  the  hand  of  God — the  divine  Principle 
of  the  universe — in  the  very  midst  of  his  malign  work 
of  suffffesting  war,  bloodshed  and  evil  to  the  nations  of 
the  earth,  there  he  lay  "manacled  by  divine  Justice;" 
powerless  to  harm. 

How  long  he  lay  no  one  will  ever  know,  for  it  was  not 
until  Saunders  returned  some  hours  later  with  a  visitor, 
whom  he  had  found  awaiting  him  in  the  parlor  below, 
that  Benton's  condition  was  discovered.  The  visitor 
was  Dorothy  Howerton.  She  had  come  to  see  Benton 
at  the  request  of  Lucy  who,  in  a  message  of  some  length 
had  told  her  of  the  happenings  at  Elmborn  and  had 
asked  her  help.  No  name  was  mentioned  in  the  mes- 
sage, only  an  allusion  to  the  same  impersonal  evil 
against  which  Dorothy  had  warned. 

For  a  long  time  after  receiving  the  message,  Dorothy 
had  sought  to  realize  the  powerlessness  of  the  animal 
passions  when  opposed  to  the  divine  will;  that  man 
could  not  be  used  as  a  channel  for  the  breaking  of 
peace,  and  that  sin,  destruction  and  death  had  no  place 
in  God's  kingdom  of  eternal  harmony — which  is  here 
and  now,  within  every  spiritual  consciousness.  Then 
there  came  to  her  a  clearer  sense  of  that  understanding 
of  the  Master  metaphysician  when  he  said  to  the 
centurion — "Go,  thy  servant  lives!"  And  she  had 
determined  to  call  upon  Benton. 

Arriving  at  his  hotel  she  had  been  told  that  he  was 
out.  She  had  determined  to  wait,  however,  and  when 
Saunders  had  come  in  some  moments  later  he  had  been 
told  of  her  presence.  Saunders  invited  her  to  the 
apartment,  where  they  at  once  discovered  the  stricken 
man. 


MANACLED  305 

Quickly  they  raised  him  from  the  floor  and  Saunders 
would  have  summoned  a  physician;  but,  although 
powerless  to  articulate,  Benton  emphatically  signified 
his  objection.  Instead,  he  put  out  his  hand  toward 
Dorothy  with  a  supplicating  gesture  that  filled  her 
heart  with  a  great  pity. 

"He  knows  that  I  have  some  experience  in  healing," 
she  said  to  Saunders,  "and  he  wishes  me  to  take  his 
case.  Is  it  not  so  ?"  she  asked,  laying  her  hand 
tenderly  upon  Benton's  head. 

He  signified  that  such  was  his  wish. 

"And  furthermore,"  she  said  to  Saunders,  "during 
this  stress  and  excitement,  it  will  be  much  better  if  you 
do  not  even  mention  his  condition.  I  am  sure  he  will 
be  better  by  morning.     You  understand  ?" 

"Yes,  ma'am,"  replied  Saunders  respectfully.  Then  •. 
"You  will  pardon  my  asking,  but  are  you  a  Christian 
Scientist  ?" 

"I  am  trying  to  be." 

"I  thought  so.  My  sister  was  cured  of  blindness 
by  Christian  Science  some  years  ago,  and  you  talk  just 
like  her." 

Benton  turned  his  eyes  towards  Saunders. 

"I  am  glad,"  said  Dorothy,  "that  you  are  able  at 
this  time  to  testify  to  the  power  of  Truth.  I  am  sure 
there  was  never  a  more  opportune  time.  Now  will  you 
kindly  leave  us .?" 

Alone  with  her  patient,  Dorothy  continued  the  work  she 
had  begun  at  home  and  as  she  raised  her  head  some 
moments  later  found  Benton's  eyes  fastened  upon  her. 

"You  know  what  we  are  trying  to  do?"  she  asked. 
"And  you  also  know  why  you  are  thus  afflicted?" 


306  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

Benton's  eyes  assumed  a  startled  expression.  It 
was  all  the  answer  she  needed. 

"You  are  not  sleepy?" 

Benton  feebly  turned  his  head. 

"Then  I  am  going  to  read  to  you." 

From  her  little  handbag  Dorothy  took  a  case  similar 
to  the  one  Lady  Judith  had  given  Tom.  Opening  the 
Bible  to  Isaiah  she  read  portions  of  the  first  chapter 
beginning:  "Come  now  and  let  us  reason  together, 
saith  the  Lord:  Though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet  they 
shall  be  as  white  as  snow ;  though  they  be  red  as  crimson 
they  shall  be  as  wool."  Then  from  Matthew  xi;  be- 
ginning: "Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labor  and  are 
heavy  laden  and  I  wall  give  you  rest."  And  lastly  from 
John  xvi;  beginning:  "Howbeit,  when  he  the  spirit  of 
Truth  is  come,  he  will  guide  you  into  all  truth." 

Benton  listened  while  she  read,  but  as  she  closed 
the  book  there  was  on  his  face  a  look  of  wonderment 
which  she  plainly  recognized. 

"You  have  heard  it  before,"  she  said. 

He  signified  wearily  that  he  had. 

*'And  it  does  not  mean  much  to  you.'" 

An  expression  something  like  a  smile  played  upon 
his  features  as  he  indicated  that  it  did  not. 

"Perhaps  this  book  will  help  you  to  better  under- 
stand," she  said. 

Opening  it  she  read  the  first  few  lines  from  the 
preface,  then  a  few  pages  from  the  chapter  on  "Prayer" 
and  closed  her  reading  with  the  closing  pages  of  the 
chapter  on  "Atonement  and  Eucharist." 

Several  times  during  the  reading  Benton  put  out  his 
hand   as  though  he  would   ask  an  explanation,  but 


MANACLED  307 

Dorothy  did  not  pause.  As  she  closed  the  book  he  raised 
himself  on  his  elbow  and  feebly  though  distinctly  and 
coherently  asked: 

"Do  you  think  all  that  is  meant  for  me?'* 

"All  and  more,"  replied  Dorothy. 

"Do  you  know  how  wicked  I  am?" 

"Man  in  the  image  and  likeness  of  God  neither  sins, 
nor  suffers.  It  is  only  our  false  human  sense  that  does 
either." 

"But  that  does  not  answer  my  question." 

"To  me,  it  does,"  replied  Dorothy. 

Benton  lowered  his  head:  "I  am  too  wicked,"  he 
said. 

"By  his  own  words,"  declared  Dorothy,  "Christ 
Jesus  came  not  to  call  the  righteous  but  sinners  to 
repentance.  The  Christ,  Truth,  will  lead  you  out  of 
your  sense  of  sin,  sickness  and  death  into  a  realization 
of  the  'depth  of  the  riches  both  of  the  wisdom  and 
knowledge  of  God.'  It  will  heal  you  of  all  your 
diseases." 

"And  what  must  I  do?'*  he  asked. 

"Belie^'e  that  Christ,  Truth,  has  power  to  heal  and 
save  and  then  act  in  accordance  with  that  belief.  Turn 
from  evil  and  do  good." 

For  a  few  moments  he  was  silent.  "What  do  you 
think  is  the  matter  with  me  ?"  he  then  asked. 

"To  human  sense  you  have  had  a  stroke  of  apoplexy. 
But  that  is  only  the  result.  How  fearful  the  cause, 
you  know  best." 

He  shuddered  at  her  words. 

"Do  you  think  I  can  be  cured  ?" 

"I  know  it." 


308  THE  PEACE^IAKERS 

"How  long  will  it  take?" 

"Just  as  long  as  it  will  take  to  purify  your  thought! 
Just  as  long  as  it  will  take  Truth  and  I^ove  to  destroy 
hatred,  env)%  malice,  murder,  revenge  and  all  the  brood 
of  evil.  It  depends  entirely  upon  your  willingness  and 
ability  to  receive  the  Christ — the  spirit  of  Truth,  which 
will  bring  you  to  realize  that  man  is  spiritual  and  not 
material.  'Ask  and  ye  shall  receive;  seek  and  ye  shall 
find;  knock  and  it  shall  be  opened  unto  you.'  " 

"Do  you  think  I  should  be  punished  for  the  evil  I 
have  done.?" 

"It  is  an  inexorable  law,  that  evil  brings  its  own 
punishment." 

For  a  long  time  Benton  lay  silent,  while  Dorothy  sat 
with  uplifted  face.  She  felt  that  the  power  of  divine 
Love  was  making  itself  felt.  Once  or  twice  Benton 
started  violently,  then  lay  back  on  his  couch.  Saunders 
came  in  and  asked  if  there  was  anything  he  could  do, 
and,  upon  being  assured  that  there  was  not,  he  again 
quietly  left  the  room. 

It  was  possibly  an  hour  later  that  Benton  again 
raised  himself  on  his  elbow 

"This  is  a  serious  case!"  he  exclaimed. 

"All  cases  of  sin  are  serious,"  replied  Dorothy. 
"But  not  to  infinite,  divine  Love." 

"I  mean  this  case  of  Guelph — not  mine." 

Dorothy  looked  at  him  fearlessly.  "  Guelph 's  case 
and  your  case  are  one,"  she  said.  "And  to  infinite 
Spirit,  neither  is  real." 

"And  how  am  I  to  be  healed.?" 

"Forgive  as  you  would  be  forgiven." 

"I  do  not  know  that  I  can.     But  I  am  willing  to  try. 


MANACLED  309 

1  am  willing  to  make  amends.  I  am  willing  even  to 
be  punished." 

Dorothy  uttered  a  silent  prayer  of  thankfulnesss  as 
she  replied: 

"A  willingness  to  confess  and  suffer  for  our  sins 
shows  a  receptive  thought  and  Jesus  said :  '  Blessed  are 
the  poor  in  spirit  (the  receptive  thought) ;  for  theirs  is 
the  kingdom  of  heaven' — harmony." 

"My  confession  might  help  to  avert  a  great  war." 

Dorothy's  heart  gave  a  bound,  but  she  only  said 
gently:  "Then  I  know  you  will  make  it.  Every  man 
would  do  right  if  he  only  knew  how." 

He  regarded  her  intently:"  You  are  a  strange  woman," 
he  said. 

"From  your  viewpoint,  yes;  for  to  one  who  has 
known  nothing  but  evil  all  his  days,  good  must  seem 
most  unnatural.  Even  so  peace  seems  unnatural  to 
one  who  has  always  lived  amidst  scenes  of  war,  and 
honesty  seems  impossible  to  one  who  has  always  lived 
amongst  thieves." 

"How  well  you  read  me,"  he  said. 

"Because  you  are  simply  a  type.  The  only  dif- 
ference is  that  your  case  is  more  pronounced  and  easier 
to  read." 

"Do  you  think  I  could  travel.?" 

"If  you  wish." 

"Will  you  stay  with  me?" 

Dorothy  hesitated. 

"You  know  it  is  a  desperate  case,"  he  continued. 

"It  was  not  of  that  that  I  was  thinking,"  replied 
Dorothy.  "It  seems  to  be  a  case  upon  which  I  have 
been  working  all  my  life.     It  is  the  claim  of  war  whose 


310  THE  PEACE^IAKERS 

power  I  have  ever  denied.     The  claim  has  now  become 
acute.     Yes,  I  will  stay  with  you." 

"Then  we  start  for  Elmborn  at  once.  Saunders!" 
calling  aloud,  "we  leave  for  Elmborn  on  the  first 
train  via  Topolobampo.  Arrange  for  a  special  car. 
Wire  Captain  Fleetwood  to  be  ready  to  sail  for  home 
upon  our  arrival." 


CHAPTER  XV 

PLANTING   THE   SEED 

The  action  of  the  government  of  Luzon  which  so 
suddenly  put  an  end  to  any  possibility  of  arbitration 
in  so  far  as  that  nation  was  concerned,  was  a  great  blow 
to  what  promised  to  be  an  amicable  adjustment  of  con- 
ditions in  Elmborn.  Whilst  it  did  not  necessitate  the 
hasty  action  of  King  Albert  in  dissolving  the  arbitra- 
tion meeting,  nor  the  show  of  force  which  his  fear 
caused  him  to  make  at  the  door  of  the  cabinet  room, 
it  did  necessitate  immediate  steps  to  restrain  the  more 
than  three  thousand  sailors  from  the  disabled  Luzonian 
warships  who  were  encamped  on  the  outskirts  of  the 
city  as  well  as  the  securing  of  the  flagship.  And  this 
was  done  ere  the  announcement  was  made  to  the  arbi- 
tration meeting. 

A  regiment  had  been  sent  at  once  to  make  the  sailors 
prisoners  and  this  proved  an  easy  task.  But  even 
though  a  number  of  Guelphian  warships  had  sur- 
rounded Admiral  Cuidado's  vessel,  and  her  com- 
mander saw  that  there  was  not  the  slightest  chance  of 
successful  resistance,  blows  were  struck  and  there  were 
fatalities  on  both  sides  when  the  men  came  together. 

The  first  and  only  misunderstanding  that  ever  came 
between  John  Winslow  and  the  government  of  Guelph 
occurred  the  next  day,  when  John  demanded  of  the 

311 


312  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

duke  that  not  only  should  the  ambassador  be  given  his 
passport,  but  also  Admiral  Cuidado  and  the  men  who 
were  with  him  at  the  meeting. 

"The  admiral  and  his  two  companions  are  prisoners 
of  war,"  declared  the  duke. 

"Possibly,"  replied  John.  "But  the  honor  of  the 
American  people  is  pledged  to  their  safe  return  home. 
I  am  sure  there  is  no  desire  on  the  part  of  Guelph  to 
raise  an  issue,  especially  at  this  time. 

"But,"  continued  John,  "this  is  not  the  question. 
That  gathering  was  for  peace  and  the  outcome  of  that 
meeting,  at  least,  must  be  peace." 

And  so  it  was  that  when  Senor  Aguerra  boarded  the 
American  liner  that  evening  to  return  to  Manila, 
Admiral  Cuidado  and  the  two  other  officers  accom- 
panied him. 

Early  on  that  day  a  commission  composed  of  a  rear- 
admiral  and  five  officers  from  the  Guelphian  army  and 
navy,  two  civil  officers  from  the  engineering  depart- 
ment and  an  officer  from  each  of  the  other  nations, 
except  Luzonia,  was  appointed  to  investigate  the  cause 
of  the  disaster.  Pending  this  report  the  governments 
of  Vaalmara,  Madagascar,  Eiland  and  Nippon,  declared 
their  intention  of  suspending  judgment,  although  they 
at  once  ordered  the  shipless  sailors  sent  home  as 
quickly  as  possible  and  dispatched  forthwith  the 
balance  of  their  fighting  force  to  Guelphian  waters. 

The  disinterested  nations  also  dispatched  strong 
squadrons  to  the  scene  of  the  disaster,  so  that  before 
the  next  nightfall  a  large  percentage  of  the  active 
fighting  force  of  the  world  was  on  its  way  to  Guelpho 

Of  course  the  Guelphian  government  was  also  most 


PLANTING  THE  SEED  313 

active.  The  army  was  immediately  ordered  to  a  war 
footing.  The  forts  in  all  the  chief  seaports  were  fully 
manned  and  every  war  vessel  in  the  great  navy  was 
placed  in  commission. 

To  go  into  details  of  the  armament  and  fighting  force 
of  the  nations  vitally  interested  would  furnish  uninter- 
esting reading  and  would  be  too  much  like  a  perusal 
of  the  report  of  the  census  bureau.  SuflBce  it  to  know, 
that  even  with  the  loss  of  the  ships  sunk  in  Elmborn 
harbor,  the  fighting  force  of  the  five  nations  was  more 
than  treble  the  Guelphian  navy,  to  say  nothing  of  the 
moral  support  of  other  nations,  which  was  sure  to 
follow  an  adverse  report  of  the  investigating  com- 
mission. 

This,  then,  was  the  condition  three  days  after  the 
disaster,  when,  through  their  ambassadors,  the  powers 
demanded  a  report  of  the  findings  of  the  commission. 
That  the  Republic  of  Luzon  had  not  already  struck 
some  sort  of  a  blow,  was  due  solely  to  John 's  influence, 
through  which  the  American  government  had  notified 
Luzon  of  its  intentions  to  interfere,  in  case  that  nation 
acted    without    the    conjunction  of   the   other  powers. 

On  four  o'clock,  of  the  third  day  following  the  ex- 
plosion, after  six  hours  session,  the  commission  made 
its  report.  It  was  to  the  effect  that  after  a  careful 
examination  of  the  disabled  battleships  which  were  still 
afloat,  of  the  arrangement  of  the  harbor  and  a  thorough 
questioning  of  the  men  who  had  been  entrusted  with 
the  placing  of  the  miniature  mines  and  locating  the 
fire-ships,  there  was  nothing  to  indicate  how  the  ex- 
plosion had  occurred. 

The    commission    reported,    however,    one    or    two 


314  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

unaccountable  conditions.  First,  that  it  had  found 
scattered  all  through  the  harbor,  certain  of  the  sub- 
marine mines  M'hich  had  not  been  exploded.  Second, 
that  a  number  of  torpedoes  in  one  of  the  government 
docks  had  been  exploded  and  the  dock  badly  damaged. 
Third,  that  in  several  of  the  battleships  they  had  found 
that  the  explosions  which  had  caused  the  damage  had 
come  from  within,  as  shown  from  the  rents  in  the 
plating. 

The  explosion  in  the  government  docks  was  looked 
upon  as  a  mitigating  circumstance;  yet,  if  there  were 
really  a  plot,  this  was  not  considered  to  have  much 
weight.  The  main  point  against  the  government  was 
that  the  explosions  were  much  greater  than  any  ordinary 
exhibition  mine  would  have  created,  and  the  implied 
charge  was  that  the  exploded  mines  must  have  been 
made  of  an  especially  prepared  explosive. 

With  all  the  wires  running  through  the  harbor  the 
method  of  firing  them  w^as  not  even  considered. 

Such  a  report  left  the  situation  practically  unchanged 
and  when  it  was  received  by  the  outside  world — that 
world  immediately  divided  itself  into  those  who  be- 
lieved it  was  an  accident;  those  who  believed  it  to  be  a 
plot;  those  who  weii;  willing  to  give  Guelph  the  benefit 
of  the  doubt  and  those  who  were  in  favor  of  making 
Guelph  suffer,  no  matter  where  the  right  lay. 

All  this  came  back  to  Guelph  in  the  way  of  press 
dispatches,  which  were  read  by  all,  and  through  reports 
to  the  government  by  the  diplomatic  corps,  which  were 
even  more  alarming.  These  were  to  the  effect  that 
with  one  or  two  notable  exceptions,  the  powers  of  the 
world,  as  well  as  those  powers  directly  interested,  were 


PLANTING  THE  SEED  815 

in  favor,  not  only  of  teaching  Guelph  a  severe  lesson  in 
war,  but  in  demanding  of  her  an  indemnity  so  great 
that  it  would  virtually  end  her  existence  as  a  power. 
Indeed,  there  were  some  who  were  already  counsel- 
ing her  destruction  as  an  independent  nation  and  the 
administration  of  her  affairs  by  the  British  government. 

Under  such  trying  conditions,  the  feelings  of  the 
Guelphian  people  may  be  better  imagined  than  de- 
scribed. Absolutely  without  malice  or  ill-will  toward 
anyone,  they  felt  themselves  the  victim  of  circum- 
stance. How  such  a  catastrophe  could  have  occurred, 
none  could  offer  anything  like  a  reasonable  explana- 
tion. Few,  if  any,  believed  that  it  had  been  part  of 
a  plot;  but  if  it  were,  it  was  just  as  greatly  condemned 
by  them  as  by  the  outside  world. 

Of  one  thing,  however,  they  were  absolutely  certain. 
They  did  not  desire  war.  They  would  only  fight  as  a 
matter  of  self-preservation.  Almost  as  a  unit  they 
were  thinking  peace. 

And  the  sentiment  of  the  people  was  shared  by  Lady 
Judith  and  the  Duke  of  Lackland.  The  only  voices 
for  war  were  the  king  and  the  heads  of  the  army  and 
navy.  Parliament  had  not  yet  discovered  its  own 
mind. 

But  events  would  not  stand  still.  Each  hour  brought 
them  nearer  the  crisis.  The  morning  after  the  report 
of  the  commission,  the  ambassadors  of  the  four  remain- 
ing nations  asked  for  their  passports  and  the  admirals 
notified  the  government  that  in  accordance  with  its  offer, 
they  would  withdraw  their  flagships  from  the  harbor. 
Transportation  for  the  men  had  already  been  furnished. 

It  was  in  the  midst  of  this  disturbed  condition  of 


316  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

thought  that  a  cabinet  meeting  was  called.  Upon  the 
personal  request  of  Lady  Judith  to  her  father  and  the 
king,  John  Winslow  was  invited  to  be  present. 

"There  is  something  more  powerful  than  warships," 
Lady  Judith  had  said  to  the  duke.  "Something  more 
powerful  than  men  or  nations." 

"And  what  is  that  ?"  asked  her  father. 

"The  power  of  God.  The  power  of  Mind.  The 
great  dynamic  force  of  Love — the  Principle  of  the 
Universe,  in  which  all  spiritual  individualities  live  and 
move  and  have  their  being." 

The  duke  looked  at  her  in  the  greatest  surprise. 
"You  talk  like  Sir  Allin,"  he  said. 

"And  has  not  his  advice  always  been  good  ?" 

"It  has,"  declared  the  duke  emphatically. 

"That  of  Mr.  Winslow  and  his  wife  is  the  same," 
said  Lady  Judith,  "only  to  me  they  seem  to  under- 
stand better  this  Principle  and  the  rule  by  which  it  is 
applied." 

The  cabinet  met  at  noon.  Every  minister  was  in 
his  place  and  all  were  weighted  down  with  their  own 
responsibility  as  well  as  the  gravity  of  the  occasion. 
An  hour  or  more  was  consumed  in  listening  to  the 
reports  of  the  various  ministers.  All  except  that  of  the 
minister  of  foreign  affairs,  was  most  satisfactory.  The 
army  was  mobilizing  rapidly.  The  nary  was  fully 
prepared.  Every  ship  in  home  waters  was  in  com- 
mission and  those  in  foreign  waters  had  been  ordered 
home.  Internal  conditions  were  never  more  harmoni- 
ous.    Only  the  foreign  relations  were  disturbed. 

The  reports  from  abroad  were  listened  to  with  the 
closest  attention.     Especially  were  those  from  some  of 


PLANTING  THE  SEED  317 

the  great  powers  most  disquieting — yes,  even  alarming. 
Confident  in  the  strength  of  its  navy  and  its  coast 
defenses,  Guelph  could  certainly,  for  a  long  time, 
repulse  the  nations  of  the  Orient — those  which  had 
suffered  through  the  disaster — but  she  could  not  hope 
to  be  ultimately  successful  with  the  sentiment  of  nearly 
all  the  great  powers  against  her,  and  some  of  them 
clamoring  for  her  very  life. 

Such  a  serious  and  hopeless  condition  had  not  con- 
fronted any  people  on  earth  since  the  days  of  Poland. 

In  this  desperate  condition,  opinions  were  not  want- 
ing as  to  what  should  be  done;  but  after  some  discus- 
sion, it  developed  that  so  far  as  the  cabinet  could  see, 
the  only  thing  the  nation  could  do  was  to  prepare  itself 
for  war  and  to  fight  until  overcome  by  overwhelming 
numbers.  In  this  way,  at  least,  would  the  national 
honor  be  maintained. 

It  had  been  made  very  plain  to  the  world  that  the 
government  disclaimed  any  knowledge  of,  and  much 
less  any  responsibility  for  the  destruction  of  the  fleets. 
If  its  word  would  not  be  believed,  and  its  offer  of 
reasonable  reparation  would  not  be  accepted,  it  must 
fight.     There  was  nothing  else  to  do. 

All  through  the  discussion  John  had  been  an  interested 
listener.  His  opinion  had  not  been  asked,  and  while 
he  felt  much  of  the  justice  of  what  was  being  said,  he 
had  held  steadfastly  to  the  knowledge  of  the  one  Mind 
in  which  there  is  no  war,  discord  or  destruction;  only 
peace  and  harmony — the  protecting  power  of  that 
Love  which  knows  no  evil. 

John  knew  also  that  there  were  thousands,  yes. 
millions  of  men  and  women  who  were,  to  the  very 


318  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

highest  of  their  understanding,  holding  to  the  same 
thought.  They  were  to  be  found  not  only  in  Guelph, 
not  only  in  America,  not  only  in  England,  but  in  those 
very  nations  which  had  been  the  greatest  sufferers 
from  the  disaster  and  whose  governments  were  even 
now  preparing  to  overshadow  that  evil  by  a  still  greater 
evil — even  war. 

And  so  when  the  king  as  a  mark  of  courtesy,  asked 
John  for  his  opinion,  there  was  no  expectation  of  any 
suggestion  other  than  perhaps  to  submit  the  whole  affair 
to  arbitration,  which,  with  practically  the  whole  world 
against  it,  would  ultimately  bring  the  matter  right  back 
to  its  present  condition.  The  cabinet  was  not  at  all 
surprised  that  he  replied: 

"Of  course,  gentlemen,  you  know  I  am  an  ardeni; 
advocate  of  peace  at  any  price.  To  my  sense,  no 
condition  can  possibly  obtain  that  calls  for  war,  or 
that  can  be  helped  by  war." 

"That  is  so  well  understood,  Mr.  Winslow,"  replied 
the  king,  "that  I  had  almost  refrained  from  asking 
your  opinion.  I  am  free  to  confess,  however,  that  I 
cannot  see  in  such  a  case  as  this  how  you  can  still 
hold  to  that  opinion." 

John  smiled  gravely:  "Because  to  me,"  he  replied, 
"war  is  absolutely  an  expression  of  human  thought, 
and  not  a  reality." 

The  members  of  the  cabinet  with  one  accord  turned 
and  eyed  him  with  the  greatest  surprise.  The  duke, 
alone,  seemed  to  have  grasped  the  real  meaning  of  his 
words. 

"War  not  a  reality.'"  exclaimed  the  king.  "Why, 
man,  you  have  lost  your  senses." 


PLANTING  THE  SEED  319 

"No,  Your  Majesty,"  replied  John  good-naturedly, 
"I  have  simply  gained  another  one." 

Then  more  gravely:  "If  Your  Majesty  will  permit  I 
think  I  can  convince  you  very  quickly  that  I  am  in  the 
right — provided,  of  course  that  for  just  a  moment  you 
will  look  at  the  matter  from  my  viewpoint.  My  under- 
standing of  life  and  the  universe  is  based  upon  the 
premise  that  God  is  Spirit,  and  that  God  is  all.  Are 
you,  gentlemen,  the  recognized  leaders  of  a  great  and 
Christian  nation,  ready  to  admit  this  ?" 

The  ministers  were  becoming  interested,  and  while 
some  of  them  imperceptibly  raised  their  eyebrows, 
there  was  a  general  expression  of  assent  to  the  pro- 
position. 

"Christ  Jesus  tells  us,"  continued  John,  "that  God  is 
Love.  Also  that  He  is  the  only  intelligence,  the  source 
of  all  Mind ;  and  furthermore  he  tells  us  emphatically 
that  God  is  good;  infinite  good — for  God  is  infinite. 

"This  being  the  case,  there  must  exist  in  this  omni- 
scient Mind  only  good.  War  is  not  good,  therefore  it 
does  not  exist  in  this  Mind  of  infinite  goodness  and  has 
no  place  in  God's  universe.  War  is  not  real  because 
it  is  not  of  God." 

"Then  what  is  it?"  burst  out  the  king. 

"A  false  human  concept.  A  false  belief  of  mortal 
man.  And  even  as  such,  it  must  at  some  time  cease 
to  exist  just  as  it  does  not  exist  in  the  divine  Mind. 
Why  not  make  that  time  now  ?" 

The  ministers  looked  first  at  John  and  then  at  each 
other  in  a  questioning  manner.  Was  he  really  sane  ? 
Such  words  could  hardly  come  from  a  man  in  his 
right  mind. 


320  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

Sir  William  Moreland  was  the  first  to  grasp  even  the 
slightest  import  of  John's  words,  and  suddenly  ex- 
claimed: "How  could  such  a  miracle  happen  ?" 

"Miracle!"  replied  John.  "Miracle!  Is  good  a 
miracle  ?  Is  love  a  miracle  ?  Is  harmony  a  miracle  ? 
No,  they  are  natural — divinely  natural — just  as  are  all 
things  in  God's  creation.  It  is  only  to  human  sense 
that  universal  love  and  peace  and  harmony  are  miracles 
To  God,  to  the  divine  Mind,  they  are  supremelji 
natural.  Harmony  in  man  is  just  as  natural  as  in 
music.  It  is  discord  that  is  unnatural,  miraculous.  It 
is  peace  that  is  natural.  The  miracle  is  that  such  a 
thing  as  war  should  ever  have  seemed  to  occur." 

While  John  spoke  every  ear  was  strained.  Every 
eye  fixed.     The  interest  was  intense. 

Upon  the  Duke  of  Lackland,  John's  words  made  the 
greatest  impression.  Already  had  he  absorbed  some 
knowledge  of  these  great  truths.  Now  his  under- 
standing was  opened  and  as  soon  as  John  paused  he 
asked : 

"And  what  is  your  recommendation,  Mr.  Winslow? 
From  your  viewpoint  there  must  be  some  solution  of 
our  problem — some  remedy  for  this  present  condition." 

Thus  pointedly  interrogated  John  replied:  "There  is 
a  solution.  My  Lord,  and  a  remedy,  even  for  this  present 
condition  in  the  international  affairs  of  Guelph." 

The  ministers  looked  at  each  other  expectantly  as 
John  continued: 

"The  solution  of  the  problem  of  war-^the  universal 
problem — is  a  realization  of  the  one  Mind,  that  mind 
*which  was  also  in  Christ  Jesus.'  The  remedy  which 
I  have  thought  out  for  this  present  condition  is  based 


PLANTING  THE  SEED  321 

upon  this  general  Principle  and  rule;  but  it  is  so  drastic 
that  I  almost  fear  to  voice  it.  However,  if  you  will 
bear  with  me  for  a  few  moments  while  I  set  forth  the 
condition  as  it  appears  to  me,  I  will  do  my  best  to 
explain  my  position." 

"Go  on!  Go  on!"  exclaimed  the  ministers  with  one 
voice. 

"In  order  to  find  a  remedy  for  any  condition,"  began 
John,  "we  must  first  ascertain  the  cause.  Now,  My 
LcH-ds,  as  the  Duke  of  Lackland  so  plainly  stated  it  to 
the  foreign  representatives  in  the  meeting  the  other 
evening,  the  exciting  cause  of  this  deplorable  disaster, 
is  jealousy — the  jealousy  and  fear  of  the  other  powers. 
The  remote  and  predisposing  cause,  we  need  not  at 
this  moment  consider. 

"In  my  own  mind  I  am  thoroughly  convinced  that 
this  jealousy  is  unwarranted.  So  well  do  I  know  your 
people,  that  I  am  satisfied  that  they  have  but  the  most 
friendly  regard  for  their  neighbors,  and  that  there  is 
no  thought  of  increasing  their  country's  prestige  at 
another's  cost.  With  them  I  am  sure  that  right  alone 
makes  might." 

"Hear!  Hear!"  was  the  murmured  response,  and  the 
minister's  faces  brightened  as  these  thoughts  of  good- 
ness and  righteousness  found  lodgment  in  their  minds. 

"As  a  young  man,"  John  continued,  "I  practiced 
common  law,  and  my  greatest  success  was  in  the  court 
of  individual,  human  conscience.  Since  then  I  have 
practiced  international  law  and  have  achieved  my 
greatest  success  in  the  court  of  national  conscience. 
It  is  to  this  court  I  now  propose  to  take  your  case. 
*In  order,  however,  to  convince  these  nations  that 


322  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

you  are  honest;  in  order  to  convince  them  that  you 
have  no  thought  of  increasing  your  commercial  or 
miUtary  prestige  at  the  cost  of  or  to  the  detriment  of 
another  nation,  it  will  be  absolutely  necessary  to  show 
them  that  they  have  never  had  any  cause  for  jealousy. 
It  will  be  necessary  now,  more  than  ever,  to  give  some 
startling  proof  that  the  thought  of  military  conquest  is 
and  ever  has  been  farthest  from  your  minds,  and 
that  you  are  willing  now  and  ever  have  been  to  find 
your  own  in  another's  good." 

"And  what  more  can  we  do  than  we  have  already 
done?"  interrupted  the  king.  "We  have  apologized 
and  no  one  will  accept  our  apology  ?  We  have  denied 
any  evil  design,  and  no  one  believes  us.  We  have 
offered  to  pay  any  reasonable  indemnity  and  our  offer 
has  been  refused.  The  powers  simply  have  the  op- 
portunity and  they  seem  possessed  to  make  the  most 
of  it.     What  more  can  we  do?" 

He  looked  at  his  ministers  in  a  helpless  and  despair- 
ing manner  as  he  awaited  the  reply. 

Slowly  John  resumed  where  he  had  been  interrupted. 

"Your  Majesty  and  Gentlemen,"  he  said  gravely, 
"you  are  all  impressed  with  the  seriousness  of  the 
situation.  It  is  unnecessary  for  me  to  dwell  upon  it. 
Not  simply  your  pride  and  prestige  are  at  stake,  but 
your  very  existence  as  a  nation.  Now  is  the  time  to 
lay  aside  this  pride;  to  lose  all  sense  of  material  great- 
ness; to  humble  yourselves  as  a  little  child  and  take 
the  first  great  step  which,  in  the  years  to  come,  will 
make  this  nation  the  foremost  power  for  good.  Man's 
extremity  is  God's  opportunity. 

"Gentlemen,"  he  paused  to  give  weight  to  his  words, 


PLANTING  THE  SEED  323 

"even  in  the  face  of  calumny;  even  in  the  face  of  deri- 
sion and  the  possibility  of  being  reviled  as  cowards, 
the  people  of  Guelph  must  immediately  disarm." 

With  a  firm  and  dignified  mien  he  awaited  the  out- 
burst which  he  knew  would  follow  this  utterance  of 
truth.  Too  often  had  he  been  truth's  champion  not 
to  realize  the  terrible  throes  of  evil  when  the  first  blow 
of  the  two-edged  sword  descends  upon  it.  He  realized, 
however,  that  Truth  must  prevail;  that  one  with  God 
is  a  majority,  whether  that  one  be  man  or  a  nation; 
and  so  firm  a  grasp  did  he  have  upon  the  situation 
and  so  keen  his  perception  of  the  channels  to  be  guarded, 
that  the  outbreak  came  exactly  as  he  had  anticipated. 
^^  Springing  to  his  feet,  Sir  William  fairly  shouted: 
"The  suggestion  is  infamous!  It  is  not  the  voice  of  a 
friend  which  thus  counsels;  it  is  the  voice  of  an  enemy! 
We  have  been  betrayed!" 

Calm  and  undaunted,  John  was  not  disconcerted  by 
the  attack.  He  was  about  to  reply  but  the  Duke  of 
Lackland  anticipated  him. 

^  "Be  calm,  My  Lord,"  he  exclaimed.  "This  is  not  a 
time  for  heroics.     Let  us  reason  together  like  men." 

"Reason,"  retorted  Sir  William,  "there  is  no  reason 
m  it.  It  is  the  suggestion  of  a  mad  man.  It  is  the 
very  thing  the  powers  desire.  If  we  disarm— if  we 
retire  our  navy  and  dismantle  our  forts,  we  shall  feel 
the  heel  of— of— of— "  Sir  William  stammered  and 
paused—  "the  heel  of  the  conqueror,"  he  finally 
finished,  "upon  our  neck." 

Sir  William's  embarrassment  broke  the  tension. 

"The  heel  of  which  conqueror,  My  Lord?"  asked 
the  duke  quizzically. 


324  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

The  point  was  well  made  and  even  though  laboring 
under  the  stress  of  great  emotions  the  faces  of  the 
ministers  relaxed.  Only  the  king  remained  stern  and 
grave, 

"Sir  William  is  quite  right,"  he  said  at  length.  "We 
should  quickly  find  ourselves  a  prey  to  the  whim  of 
every  other  nation." 

"Consider  Zelandia,"  said  John. 

"I  would  rather  be  the  chief  of  a  tribe  of  savages 
than  the  king  of  such  a  people,"  declared  Albert. 

"No  country  under  the  sun  is  happier  or  more 
favored,"  was  John's  quick  reply.  "But  it  is  not  the 
future  of  the  throne  we  are  now  to  consider,  but  the 
integrity  of  the  people." 

"And  have  you  for  one  moment  a  belief  that  this 
action  would  preserve  it?"  asked  Lord  Aukland.  "I 
feel  with  Sir  William,  that  it  would  be  playing  into  the 
hands  of  our  enemies.  We  would  either  be  appor- 
tioned among  the  nations  or  become  again  a  colony 
of  Great  Britain;  while  who  can  say  that  we  may  not 
even  yet  be  victorious  if  we  but  stand  firm." 

The  king  nodded  his  head  approvingly. 

"If  Your  Majesty  will  bear  with  me  for  just  a  few 
moments  longer,"  said  John,  "I  will  finish  what  I 
have  to  say  and  withdraw  from  your  deliberations.  I 
will  for  the  sake  of  argument  admit  with  his  grace  of 
Aukland  that  Guelph  might  even  be  victorious. 
Armed  with  right  there  is  every  reason  why  she  should 
beo  But  even  if  she  were,  what  has  she  gained  ? 
Thousands  of  her  people  will  have  suffered  and  bled. 
Her  coasts  will  have  been  ravaged,  her  cities  destroyed 
and  her  fields  devastated.     For  years  to  come  she  will 


PLANTING  THE  SEED  325 

be  burdened  with  debt,  and  in  the  far  distant  future 
the  question  of  disarmament  will  again  arise. 

"If,  on  the  contrary,  you  now  disarm, — believe  one 
who  has  for  years  practiced  in  the  courts  of  national 
conscience — the  other  powers  will  meet  you  half  way. 
Just  as  a  belief  that  you  arrogantly  desire  to  encroach 
upon  their  rights  created  antagonism,  so  will  their 
knowledge  of  your  humble  attitude  find  in  them  a 
responsive  chord.  The  divine  activity  of  Love  and 
the  eternal  energy  of  Truth  will  do  more  for  the  salva- 
tion and  preservation  of  this  government  than  hundreds 
of  battleships. 

"True,  the  time  was — and  that  not  so  long  ago, 
when  the  armament  of  navies  was  necessary  for  the 
purpose  of  preventing  war  and  preserving  peace  among 
the  nations;  but  as  you  all  know,  year  by  year  the 
people  of  the  world  have  been  thinking  more  of  peace 
and  less  of  war,  until  now,  I  am  firmly  convinced,  that 
there  are  enough  earnest  men  and  women  who  have 
grasped  the  divine  fact  that  all  causation  is  spiritual, 
to  demonstrate  to  the  world  the  true  brotherhood  of 
man  and  that  war  is  unnecessary. 

"The  nations  have  been  for  years,  and  are  today 
looking  for  some  way  to  rid  themselves  of  war.  They 
have  all  said  it,  and  I,  for  one,  believe  it.  This  senti- 
ment, aided  and  encouraged  by  a  spiritual  understand- 
ing of  the  Scriptures  has  given  an  impetus  to  the  peace 
movement  that  some  of  you  gentlemen  may  not  realize. 

"As  has  often  been  said,  no  nation  nor  assemblage  of 
nations  can  establish  or  maintain  in  the  national 
character  what  is  not  maintained  in  the  indi\adual; 
but.  Gentlemen,  I  believe   that   the    individual    con- 


326  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

sciousness  is  today  ready  for  this  great  step.  I  believe 
it  is  time  to  put  up  the  sword,  and  I  feel  assured  that 
if  the  people  of  Guelph  will  grasp  this  opportunity 
while  the  public  mind  is  thus  harrowed  and  receptive, 
and  direct  into  the  right  channels  of  activity  this  good 
and  righteous  thought,  the  seed  of  peace  will  find 
fertile  lodgment  and  produce  immediate  and  abundant 
harvest. 

"It  is  for  you  now  to  plant;  God  giveth  the  increase." 


CHAPTER  XVI 

THE   LEAVEN   WORKING 

Leaving  the  cabinet  meeting,  John  went  immedi- 
ately to  Oxley  House.  So  absorbed  had  he  been  with 
the  working  out  of  his  great  plan  for  not  only  saving 
Guelph  from  the  destruction  which  threatened  it,  but 
likewise  for  advancing  the  cause  of  peace  to  which  his 
life  had  been  devoted,  that  he  had  found  but  the 
briefest  time  to  consult  with  Lucy  upon  the  details. 
True,  so  closely  were  they  united  in  thought,  that  they 
were  always  working  along  the  same  lines;  and  he  knew 
that  whatever  she  had  done  would  in  one  way  or  another 
fit  into  what  he  had  accomplished.  But  he  felt  the 
need  of  a  concentration  of  thought  and  action  and  so 
hastened  to  Lucy's  side. 

As  he  expected,  he  found  her  with  the  young  mar- 
chioness. The  shutters  were  closed  to  keep  out  the 
heat  and  the  room  was  cool  and  inviting.  Lucy  greeted 
him  with  a  smile,  which  he  returned  with  a  kiss. 

Lady  Judith  also  smiled:  "Lovers  still,"  she  said 
shyly.     "And  my  love  story  has  not  yet  begun." 

"Why  do  you  say  still  .P"  asked  John  quizzically. 
"Love,  you  know,  never  grows  old." 

"You  will  pardon  my  shortcomings, "said  Lady  Judith 
with  just  a  tinge  of  color.  "I  have  learned  much  in 
the  past  week,  but  you  must  not  expect  me  to  know  it  all." 

John  laughed  with  the  light-heartedness  of  a  boy, 
387 


328  THE  PEACEIVIAKERS 

and  Lucy  lajdng  her  hand  lovingly  on  the  young 
woman's  head  replied: 

"If  all  our  shortcomings  caused  as  little  trouble  as 
yours.  Lady  Judith,  there  would  be  little  reason  for 
forgiveness.  But  you  must  feel  that  your  love  story  is 
even  now  being  told.  These  seeming  clouds  will  only 
make  life  the  brighter  when  they  have  passed." 

"Poor  Tom,"  exclaimed  Lady  Judith.  "I  do  so 
wish  for  his  sake  that  this  mystery  could  be  cleared." 

"It  is  clearing."  declared  Lucy.  "And  if  we  will 
continue  to  know  that  there  is  nothing  hidden,  because 
the  all-seeing  eye  perceives  all  that  really  is,  this  error 
like  all  others  must  be  destroyed." 

Then  to  her  husband:  "And  how  is  it  Avith  you, 
John  ?" 

"The  leaven  is  working." 

"Then  you  have  unfolded  your  plan?" 

"Yes;  I  have  advised  immediate  disarmament." 

"And  how  did  the  king  receive  the  suggestion?" 
asked  Lady  Judith  eagerly. 

"With  little  favor.  To  him,  as  yet,  temporal  power 
is  all.  He  cannot  realize  that  he  rules  best  who  rules 
least — whose  every  wish  is  foreseen  and  respected  almost 
before  it  takes  form  in  his  own  thought." 

"Uncle  Albert  is  a  very  proud  man,"  suggested  Lady 
Judith.     "I  fear  he  will  never  consent." 

"Yet,  even  he  cannot  withstand  the  might  of  Mind," 
declared  John.  "I  am  sure,  when  the  time  comes,  we 
shall  find  him  receptive.  If  disarmament  is  right,  and 
I  firmly  believe  that  it  is;  if  Principle  is  leading  to  that 
end,  there  is  no  power  that  can  prevent  it.  The  thought 
for  us  to  take  up  is  that  right  must  prevail." 


THE  LEAVEN  WORKING  329 

"It  already  does  prevail,"  declared  Lucy.  "It  is 
only  for  mankind  to  realize  it." 

A  servant  quietly  entered.  "The  old  gentlemen  asks 
if  he  may  come  down?"  he  said  addressing  Lucy. 
"He  says  he  has  something  to  tell  you." 

"Certainly.  Tell  him  we  shall  be  pleased  to  see 
him." 

"Do  you  think  it  possible — "  began  Lady  Judith, 
as  the  servant  went  out. 

"With  God  all  things  are  possible,"  interrupted 
Lucy.  "Let  us  hold  steadfastly  to  the  realization  of 
perfect  God  and  perfect  man,  and  the  glory  of  both 
shall  be  revealed." 

Lady  Judith  and  John  were  about  to  withdraw  but 
Lucy  asked  them  to  remain. 

"Let  us  treat  his  coming  as  nothing  unusual,"  she 
said.  "I  am  sure  we  are  sufficiently  of  one  mind  not 
to  disturb  him." 

They  resumed  their  seats  and  conversation  just  as 
the  servant  ushered  Herman  into  the  room.  John  had 
not  seen  him  since  the  night  of  the  disaster.  Had  he 
met  him  in  any  other  place  he  would  not  have  recog- 
nized him,  he  was  so  greatly  improved. 

As  he  entered,  Lucy  arose  and  extended  her  hand 
"I  am  glad  to  see  you,"  she  said.  "Come  right  in 
where  it  is  cool." 

Herman  glanced  around  with  an  air  of  perfect 
composure. 

"You  know  my  husband,"  said  Lucy.  "And  this 
is  the  Marchioness  of  Oxley  who  is  spending  the  after- 
noon with  me." 

Herman  gravely  recognized  the  introduction  as  he  said : 


330  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"It  is  pleasant  here — and  so  peaceful.     I  lof  peace." 

He  spoke  with  a  slight  German  accent  which  gave 
an  added  softness  to  his  words. 

"Most  men  love  peace,"  replied  John,  "but  few 
seemingly  know  where  to  find  it." 

"I  would  nefer  haf  war,"  continued  Herman  as  he 
passed  his  hand  over  his  scanty  gray  locks.  "I  think 
it  is  a  disgrace." 

"When  mankind  becomes  as  much  ashamed  of 
fighting  in  armies  as  of  fighting  as  individuals,  there 
will  be  no  more  war,"  replied  John. 

"I  haf  done  some  things  to  stop  war,"  said  the  old 
man.  Then  to  Lucy  as  he  again  passed  his  hand  over 
his  head.  "I  came  down  to  tell  you  some  of  them  but 
I  haf  forgotten." 

"You  will  remember  them  after  a  while,"  she  replied. 
"God  will  help  you.     But  will  you  not  be  seated  ?" 

The  old  man  seated  himself  in  a  straight-backed 
chair  and  rested  his  hands  on  his  knees. 

"I  am  sorry  I  haf  forgotten,"  he  said  meditatively. 
"But  perhaps  you  would  like  me  to  tell  you  of  some 
experiments  I  haf  been  making  ?" 

"Verj'  much,"  replied  John. 

"Are  you  interested  in  electricity?" 

"Very  much,  indeed." 

"I  am  myself.  I  would  like  to  know  just  what  to 
call  it.  Some  say  it  is  energy;  some  say  not.  Some 
say  it  is  matter;  some  say  not.  I  think  it  a  thing  by 
itself,  just  as  matter  is  a  thing  by  itself — an  entity  we 
v\  ould  say  in  science.     Do  you  understand  ?" 

"Perfectly."  replied  John.  "In  a  little  book  which 
I  have  electricity  is  well  explained." 


THE  LEAVEN  WORKING  331 

"I  should  lof  to  read  the  little  book.  I  am  much 
interested  in  all  science — especially  now  that  science 
is  changing  the  belief  of  the  world  in  regard  to  matter." 

John  turned  upon  Lucy  a  questioning  glance,  but 
she  shook  her  head. 

"I  do  not  think  I  quite  understand,"  said  John. 

"Many  years  ago,"  said  Herman  straightening  up 
in  his  chair  and  his  eyes  brightening  with  interest  in 
his  subject,  "everybody  thought  that  matter  was  just 
what  it  seems  to  be.  They  thought  that  because  they 
could  feel  it  with  their  hands  it  was  something.  Then 
one  great  man,  he  discovered  that  matter  was  made  of 
many  small  atoms  that  could  be  separated  into  other 
things  like  water  into  gases.  Then  another  great 
naan — "  he  stopped  and  passed  his  hand  several  times 
over  his  head,  "I  should  remember  his  name,  but  I 
haf  forgotten — well  he  discovered  that  matter  was  just 
stored  up  energy.  Coal,  for  example,  is  stored  up 
heat,  which  by  the  use  of  fire  can  be  turned  back  into 
energy.     Do  you  understand  ?" 

"It  is  very  clear,"  replied  Lucy. 

"So  by  such  things  as  these,  everybody  began  after 
a  while  to  see  that  matter,  iron,  water,  coal,  were  not 
real  substance.  Then  we  began  to  think  of  other 
things  as  substance." 

"What  other  things.?"  asked  John. 

"Well,  light— electricity— " 

"Did  you  ever  think  of  Life,  Truth  and  Love  as 
substance  ?" 

"Oh,  yes,  life;  not  the  others  because — "  and  the  old 
man's  manner  became  a  bit  excited— "  because  I  think 
life  is  electricity  and  electricity  is  the  real  substance." 


332  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

Noting  his  excitement  Lucy  said  quietly:  "We  have 
enjoyed  your  talk  very  much,  Herman.  I  hope  we 
are  not  tiring  you." 

He  passed  his  hand  over  his  head,  and  after  a  minute 
became  calm  again. 

"No,"  he  said,  "I  am  not  tired  I  was  going  to  tell 
you  of  my  experiments.  You  know  the  Hertzian 
waves  ?" 

"I  know  only  that  the  wireless  telegraph  owes  its 
existence  to  the  phenomenon,"  replied  John.  "I  am 
not  an  expert  on  the  subject." 

"Well,  these  Hertzian  waves  are  as  subtle  as  the 
ether  which  carries  them;  and  because  there  is  really 
no  absolutely  solid  substance — because  all  matter  is 
made  up  of  atoms  and  these  atoms  have  an  infinitesimal 
space  between  them — it  is  possible  for  these  Hertzian 
waves,  this  almost  living  electricity  to  find  its  way 
between  them.  When  sent  out  in  the  waves  that 
Professor  Hertz  discovered,  this  electricity  will  pene- 
trate anything.  Why,"  with  much  excitement,  "with 
the  proper  instruments  they  would  find  their  way 
through  the  armour  of  a  warship — " 

He  stopped  suddenly  and  his  eyes  sparkled.  "But 
that  is  a  great  secret,"  he  said.  "It  is  to  make  me  a 
rich  and  great  nobleman  some  day." 

Trained  as  were  both  Lucy  and  John  in  the  control 
of  their  thoughts,  and  schooled  as  were  all  in  the  art 
of  diplomacy,  it  was  with  diflficulty  that  they  could 
retain  their  composure. 

But  Lucy  only  said:  "It  certainly  ought  to." 

"It  will!  Oh,  it  will!"  said  Herman  proudly.  "The 
beautiful  lady  has  promised  me — " 


THE  LEAVEN  WORKING  333 

The  old  man  stopped.  His  fingers  moved  nervously 
as  he  passed  his  hand  over  his  head.  Lady  Judith 
leaned  forward  while  her  bosom  heaved  with  sup- 
pressed emotion.  John  closed  his  eyes,  trying  to  real- 
ize the  impotence  of  the  error  he  felt  was  about  to  be 
uncovered. 

Lucy  arose  and  laid  her  hand  gently  on  the  old  man's 
arm. 

"There  is  something  I  haf  forgotten,"  he  said. 

"Perhaps  you  left  it  in  your  room,"  said  Lucy, 
"suppose  we  go  and  look  for  it." 

Without  a  word  Herman  arose  and  followed  her 
from  the  room.  Then  Lady  Judith  gave  way  to  her 
feelings : 

"Oh,  Mr.  Winslow!"  she  exclaimed,  rising  from  her 
chair,  "this  is  terrible!     Terrible!" 

John  also  arose  and  laid  his  hand  upon  her  shoulder. 

"Try  and  look  at  it  from  another  viewpoint,"  he 
said.  "Try  and  look  upon  it  purely  as  error  destroying 
itself.  Separate  the  error  from  the  seeming  person- 
ality and  know  that  once  the  error  is  destroyed  the 
truth  will  appear." 

"How  can  I  ?"  she  exclaimed.  "It  is  so  real.  That 
terrible  woman !     Poor  Tom!     Poor  Tom!" 

On  the  instant  John  caught  the  meaning  of  her 
words. 

"My  dear  Lady  Judith,"  he  exclaimed,  "you  are 
doing  Tom  a  great  injustice.  He  knows  no  more  of 
this  than  do  you  or  I.     He  is  simply  a  part  of  the  plot." 

"Do  you  really  think  so?" 

"Think  so?"  exclaimed  John.     "I  know  it." 

Lucy  entered  the  room. 


S34  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"Did  he  say  any  more?  Did  he  give  any  names?" 
asked  Lady  Judith. 

Lucy  shook  her  head.  "And  let  us  hope  that  for 
the  present  he  will  not.  I  shall  try  no  more  to  awaken 
him  until  the  evil  he  thinks  he  has  done  is  destroyed; 
until  I  can  say  to  his  poor,  sin-burdened  sense:  'You 
have  wrought  a  great  good.' 

"But,  Marchioness,  I  must  see  this  woman.  Can 
you  have  her  summoned  ?" 

Lady  Judith's  face  grew  stern  and  for  a  moment 
her  roval  blood  manifested  itself  in  a  show  of  pride 
at  her  power.  As  she  drew  herself  to  her  full  height, 
she  looked  every  inch  a  queen, 

"  Can  I  have  her  summoned  ?"  she  repeated  haughtily 
"I  can  have  her  brought,  if  need  be." 

A  look  of  pained  surprise  passed  over  Lucy's  face. 

"I  would  not  have  her  summoned  in  anger,"  she 
said.     "I  would  rather  go  to  her." 

Lady  Judith's  eyes  filled  with  tears  and  her  eyes  sank, 

"I  am  very  human,"  she  said. 

"We  all  are,"  said  Lucy.  "But  to  begin  rightly  to 
work  out  the  problem  of  life,  is  a  step  in  the  right 
direction.  Through  consistent  daily  living,  we  finally 
attain  to  that  stature  of  Christ,  which  brings  us  into  the 
full  understanding  of  our  unity  with  God — infinite  good." 

"And  already,"  said  Lady  Judith,  "I  am  finding 
how  hard  this  consistent  living  is." 

"Be  not  weary  in  well  doing,"  quoted  John.  "And 
the  way  to  avoid  weariness  is  to  realize  that  man,  being 
spiritual,  cannot  grow  weary,  for  Mind,  Spirit,  rests 
in  its  own  activity." 

It  was  an  hour  later  that  Lady  Gay  Beckworth. 


THE  LEAVEN  WORKING  335 

seated  in  her  boudoir  and  devouring  feverishly  every 
bit  of  news  in  the  mass  of  daily  papers  scattered  about 
her,  received  a  delicately  worded  note  from  Lady  Judith 
asking  her  to  come  at  once  to  Oxley  House,  and  closing 
with  the  words:  "It  is  the  duke's  desire." 

As  she  read  the  closing  words,  the  letter  fell  from 
Lady  Gay's  hands  and  for  a  moment  a  sense  of  fear 
took  possession  of  her.  Then  with  a  great  effort,  she 
gained  her  composure  and  prepared  to  obey  the  official 
summons — for  as  such  she  recognized  it. 

"What  a  girl  like  the  Marchioness  of  Oxley  can  see 
in  a  vacillating  young  fellow  like  Tom  AUin  is  more 
than  I  can  understand."  she  mused  to  herself.  "But 
there  is  no  accounting  for  tastes.  I  should  think  a  man 
like  George  Benton,  villain  though  he  be,  would  be 
more  her  style.     Now  there  is  a  man." 

And  Lady  Gay,  like  many  another,  passed  judgment 
upon  two  mortal  concepts  with  the  thought  that  she  was 
comparing  individuals  created  in  the  image  and  like- 
ness of  God.  Had  she  realized  for  an  instant  that  all 
spiritual  individualities  reflect  one  Mind — and  that 
Mind  perfection — the  absurdity  of  making  such  com- 
parisons would  most  certainly  have  made  itself  apparent. 

"Well,  if  she  v/ants  him  she  can  have  him,"  so  ran 
her  thoughts.  "Now  that  the  great  deed  has  been 
done  I  might  as  well  admit  that  I  have  no  proof  against 
Tom.     That  is  the  easiest  way  out." 

Having  arrived  at  this  conclusion.  Lady  Gay  felt  a 
bit  more  composed;  but  as  she  was  being  whirled 
rapidly  toward  Oxley  House  and  noted  on  every  side 
the  preparations  for  war,  she  again  became  greatly 
disturbed. 


336  THE  PEACEIMAKERS 

"Strange,"  she  murmured,  "that  I  have  heard 
nothing  from  Benton  since  the  explosion." 

And  then  a  nameless  terror  took  possession  of  her 
"Might  not  Blucher  have  betrayed  them  all." 

By  the  time  she  reached  Oxley  House  she  was  faint 
with  fear.  Her  limbs  almost  refused  to  support  her 
as  she  slowly  ascended  the  steps.  Her  fear  increased  as 
the  door  mechanically  opened  at  her  approach,  and  she 
was  tempted  to  turn  and  flee;  but  with  a  great  effort 
she  entered  the  portal  which  quickly  closed  behind  her. 

Glancing  hastily  around,  and  half  expecting  to  see  a 
jfile  of  soldiers,  or  at  least  a  body  of  stern-faced  men, 
she  perceived  instead  a  sweet-faced  woman  coming 
toward  her  with  outstretched  hands.  In  the  woman's 
eyes  there  gleamed  a  light  which  Lady  Gay  had  never 
before  seen,  and  her  every  expression  betokened  love 
and  compassion. 

"It  is  Lady  Beckworth,  is  it  not?"  she  said  softly. 

For  her  life  Lady  Gay  could  not  have  answered,  so 
great  was  her  surprise;  but  words  were  unnecessary, 
for  the  voice  continued: 

"I  am  Mrs.  Winslow,  the  wife  of  the  American 
commissioner.     Will  you  not  come  into  the  library  ?" 

The  voice,  so  full  of  sweetness  and  tenderness,  had 
struck  a  chord  in  Lady  Gay's  heart  upon  which  no 
hand  had  ever  before  played,  and  her  whole  being  re- 
sponded to  the  touch.  In  an  instant  her  very  nature 
seem  changed.  The  fear  which  had  a  moment  before 
possessed  her  gave  way  to  a  sense  of  trusting  confidence, 
and  she  entered  the  library  with  such  a  feeling,  as  she 
realized  in  after  years,  must  have  come  to  the  woman 
taken  in  her  sins  when  the  Master  said:  ''Neither  do  I 


THE  LEAVEN  WORKING  337 

condemn  thee."  She  reaUzed  near  her  a  beatified 
presence  and  felt  within  her,  unnamed  as  yet,  the  omni- 
potent power  of  Love,  and  immediately  a  great  desire 
filled  her  heart." 

For  a  space  there  was  silence.  Both  women  were 
busy  with  their  own  thoughts — Lucy  giving;  Lady  Gay 
receiving.  At  last,  with  a  sense  of  her  greater  blessing, 
Lucy  quoted  softly: 

"  *As  for  me,  I  will  behold  thy  face  in  righteousness; 
I  shall  be  satisfied  when  I  awake  in  thy  likeness.'  " 
And  she  continued  gently:  "I  shall  not  be  satisfied 
until  then.  I  shall  not  be  satisfied  until  the  baptism 
of  Spirit  hath  purified  me." 

Then,  at  last,  Lady  Gay's  whole  bearing  changed. 
Tears  welled  to  her  eyes  and  a  great  sob  broke  the 
silence — such  a  sob  as  comes  only  from  a  broken  and 
contrite  heart.  The  pent  up  grief  and  unnatural 
restraint  of  years  found  relief  in  a  passion  of  tears. 

For  several  minutes  Lucy  made  no  effort  to  calm 
the  weeping  woman,  but  let  her  grief  have  full  sway — 
holding  steadfastly,  however,  to  the  thought  of  man's 
at-one-ment  with  God,  and  pouring  out  upon  the  sin- 
stricken  countess  her  treasure  of  pity  and  affection. 

At  length  she  arose,  and  approaching  Lady  Beck- 
worth  laid  her  hand  gently  upon  her  arm. 

"  'The  people  that  walked  in  darkness,'  "  she 
repeated,  "  'have  seen  a  great  light.  Therefore  if  any 
man  be  in  Christ  he  is  a  new  creature;  old  things  have 
passed  away,  all  things  have  become  new.'  " 

Lady  Gay  raised  her  eyes  and  looked  at  Lucy  long 
and  earnestly.  Then  she  put  out  her  hand  and  lightly 
touched  Lucy's  cheek. 


338  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"Are  you  really  a  woman?"  she  asked.     "Are  you 

human  ?" 

"Very,"  replied  Lucy  with  a  sweet  smile.  "And  a 
woman  just  like  you,  a  woman  who  might  stumble  and 
fall,  perhaps  just  as  you  have  done,  were  I  not  sus- 
tained by  Christ,  Truth;  did  I  not  strive  daily  to  follow 
in  the  footsteps  of  the  Master  and  realize  the  sustain- 
ing and  protecting  care  of  divine  Love.  'Because  he 
has  set  his  love  upon  me,  therefore  will  I  deliver  him,' 
said  the  Psalmist,  '  I  will  set  him  on  high,  because  he 
hath  known  my  name.' 

Lady  Gay's  face  wore  a  surprised  and  startled  look. 

"I  once  thought  I  was  a  Christian,"  she  said.  "Many 
times  I  have  read  those  words,  but  never  before  did 
they  carry  such  a  meaning  as  now.  O,  there  must  be 
something  in  the  Bible  after  all — something  that  will 
fill  the  unsatisfied  longing  of  a  hungry  heart." 

"It  is  all  there,"  replied  Lucy  earnestly.  "It  only 
needs  to  be  illumined,  'Take  my  yoke  upon  you,  and 
learn  of  me;  for  I  am  meek  and  lowly  in  heart;  and  ye 
shall  find  rest  unto  your  souls.  For  my  yoke  is  easy 
and  my  burden  is  light,' — how  light  only  those  can 
know  who  understand  God  as  Life,  Truth  and  Love; 
His  Christ  as  the  divinely  perfect  idea,  and  who  have  a 
realizing  sense  of  man's  unity  with  infinite  good. 

"But  before  we  can  enter  into  this  rest  we  must  be 
purged  as  by  fire,  'for  nothing  that  defileth  or  maketh 
a  lie  can  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God.'  I  am  sure 
you  understand." 

While  Lucy  was  speaking  there  crept  into  Lady 
Beckvv^orth's  eyes  a  look  of  fear,  but  it  quickly  dis- 
appeared  as  she  again   raised  them  to  Lucy's  face. 


THE  LEAVEN  WORKING  339 

She  saw  reflected  there  no  avenging  thought,  only  a 
spirituality  that  looked  beyond  the  material  sense  of 
things  and  realized  that  man  can  no  more  lose  his 
perfection  than  can  God,  his  divine  Principle.  As  her 
fear  vanished,  her  determination  to  free  her  mind  of 
its  load  of  sin  was  then  and  there  made. 

No  need  now  of  diplomacy.  No  need  now  of  subtle 
questions  and  evasive  answers.  No  need  now  of  threats 
or  violence.  The  stubborn  will  is  broken,  the  callous 
breast  has  been  wounded  and,  as  the  waters  of  a  mighty 
flood  dash  out  when  the  dam  bursts,  so  the  seeming 
flood  of  sin  and  sorrow,  grief  and  shame  came  forth 
when  the  barrier  of  fear  had  been  removed;  but  not 
like  the  undammed  waters  to  spread  destruction  and 
disaster,  and  to  leave  death  and  disease  in  its  wake 
but  instead  to  be  lost  in  the  great  ocean  of  divine 
compassion  in  which  sin  is  forgiven  and  destroyed. 

In  words  broken  by  her  emotions,  Lady  Gay  related 
all  the  evil  doings  of  the  past  months  and  laid  bare  the 
plot;  she  told  how  she  and  Blucher,  aware  of  Benton's 
desire  that  some  treacherous  act  should  be  committed 
during  the  visit  of  the  fleet  to  strengthen  the  false  im- 
pressions which  his  words  had  created,  had  conspired 
together  to  that  end;  how,  through  old  Herman's  need 
of  money  to  continue  his  experiments,  he  had  one  day 
applied  to  Blucher  for  a  loan  and  how  Blucher  had 
managed  to  get  out  of  him  something  of  what  he  was 
doing.  Then  she  told  of  her  work  with  Herman.  She 
had  invited  him  to  her  home  and  had  promised  to  aid 
him  with  money  if  he  would  confide  in  her,  which  he 
did.  She  had  recounted  to  him  an  imaginary  plot, 
involving  Tom,  herself,  and  the  king,  whereby  if  Herman 


340  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

could  prove  to  the  king  and  Tom  that  his  invention 
would,  as  he  claimed,  annihilate  the  war  vessels  of  an 
enemy  by  exploding  their  own  ammunition,  he  should 
be  made  a  great  noble. 

Personally  none  of  them  had  thought  his  boasts 
possible;  but  they  had  believed  from  experiments  he 
had  showed  them,  that  he  could  explode  at  a  distance, 
a  certain  kind  of  torpedo  placed  under  water.  To 
this  end,  while  the  fireworks  were  being  arranged,  men 
hired  by  Blucher  with  Benton's  money,  succeeded  in 
placing  these  torpedoes  of  melenite  under  the  bows  of 
one  ship  of  each  squadron.  No  one  had  expected 
more  than  these  ships  to  be  injured.  How  the  whole- 
sale damage  had  been  done  to  the  fleet  and  other  prop- 
erty in  the  harbor,  she  could  not  say — unless  it  was  that 
Herman's  experiment  had  been  much  more  far-reach- 
ing than  any  had  believed  it  would  be.  Neither  did 
she  know  how  it  had  been  expected  to  connect  the 
eovernment  with  the  disaster.     This  was  left  to  Benton. 

When  the  Republic  of  Luzon  had  immediately  de- 
clared war,  she  had  felt  Benton's  hand  in  the  declara- 
tion. But  why  it  had  stopped  there,  she  could  not 
guess.  She  did  not  know  how  the  prime  mover  in  the 
conspiracy  had  been  stricken  in  the  very  midst  of  carry- 
ing out  his  part  of  the  evil  work,  or  of  his  change  of 
heart.  Lucy,  however,  aware,  of  the  message  she  had 
sent  Dorothy,  understood.  She  had  even  felt  in  her 
own  consciousness  the  withdrawal  of  the  malign 
influence. 

"Are  you  Tvdlling  and  able  to  give  proof  of  your 
statement  ?"  asked  Lucy  when  Lady  Gay  had  finished. 

"Willing,  yes,  but  I  do  not  know  that   I  am  able. 


THE  LEAVEN  WORKING  341 

for  I  do  not  know  what  has  become  of  Herman.  He 
has  disappeared  as  though  swallowed  up  in  the  explo- 
sion. He  was  queer  anyway,  and  the  success  of  his 
work  may  have  proved  too  much  for  his  reason.  Oh, 
Mrs.  Winslow,  it  is  terrible!  Terrible!"  and  Lady  Beck- 
worth  buried  her  face  in  her  hands  while  her  slight 
form  was  convulsed  with  anguish. 

Lucy  stood  silently  by,  her  heart  moved  with  a  great 
compassion,  yet  realizing  that  the  suffering  that  Lady 
Beckworth  was  undergoing  was  inevitable.  A  law  of 
Truth — a  law  of  God  had  been  disobeyed;  and  that 
suffering  must  follow  any  attempt  to  interfere  with  the 
action  of  divine  Principle  is  as  certain  as  it  is  that 
darkness  is  destroyed  by  light. 

As  Lady  Beckworth  still  wept  Lucy  laid  her  hand 
gently,  but  firmly,  on  her  shoulder. 

"This  is  not  a  time  to  give  way  to  a  false  sense  of 
things,"  she  said.     "It  is  a  time  to  act." 

Daylight  had  disappeared  and  the  evening  shadows 
were  gathering  as  they  talked.  Raising  her  hand,  Lucy 
pressed  a  button  in  the  wall  and  the  room  was  instantly 
flooded  with  light. 

Lady  Gay  looked  up  through  her  tears. 

"And  what  can  I  do.?"  she  asked. 

"Turn  on  the  light  and  dispel  the  darkness,"  declared 
Lucy  with  great  emphasis.  "Turn  at  once  from  a 
sense  of  things  as  they  seem  to  a  knowledge  of  things 
as  they  are.  Give  the  lie  to  evil.  Know  that  it  is  with- 
out power,  and  prove  it.  Come !  I  will  show  you  where 
to  begin." 


CHAPTER  XVn 


A    HOUSE    DIVIDED 


In  the  plain,  but  richly  furnished  apartment  that  of 
all  the  beautiful  mansion  she  considered  absolutely 
her  own.  Lady  Judith  sat  alone.  A  couple  of  open 
books  on  the  table  at  her  side  indicated  that  she  had 
been  reading  until  the  deepening  shadows  had  shut  out 
the  licrht.  Not  caring:  for  the  moment  to  arise,  she  had 
leaned  back  in  the  big  leather  chair  in  which  she  loved 
to  lounge  and,  with  her  eyes  fixed  upon  the  evening  star 
as  it  grew  brighter  and  brighter,  sat  thinking  in  the 
gloaming. 

It  was  a  favorite  pastime  of  Lady  Judith  to  sit  thus 
between  daylight  and  darkness  and  let  her  thoughts 
wander  at  will;  but  on  this  particular  occasion  they 
wandered  little.  They  were  centered  upon  the  one 
topic  which  was  at  the  moment  interesting  the  world: 
the  future  of  Guelph. 

What  would  it  be?  Would  the  nation  weather  the 
storm  which  had  burst  upon  it  with  such  sudden- 
ness and  fury,  or  would  it  founder  and  sink,  carrying 
with  it  the  men  who  had  worked  so  hard  for  its  weal .'' 

With  the  clearer  understanding  of  life  and  the  uni- 
verse which  had  come  to  her  during  the  last  few  days, 
Lady  Judith  could  easily  perceive  that  its  future  was 
its  own.     She  realized  from  her  talk  with  John  and 

342 


A  HOUSE  DIVIDED  343 

Lucy  that  afternoon,  that  its  future  depended  entirely 
upon  its  moral  strength  and  courage  to  take  the  great 
step  toward  which  Principle  was  leading.  She  further 
realized,  that  as  no  whole  can  be  stronger  than  the  sum 
of  all  its  parts,  so  the  moral  strength  of  the  nation  could 
be  no  stronger  Ihan  the  moral  courage  of  those  entrusted 
with  its  government. 

She  had  but  now  been  reading  of  the  necessity  of 
gravitating  God  ward,  and  it  was  plain  to  her  that  unless 
human  affairs  were  governed  by  Spirit,  omniscient 
Mind,  they  were  ill-governed.  There  was  no  new 
power  to  which  man  could  turn.  There  was  nothing 
new  to  be  created.  God  had  finished  his  work  and  it 
was  good,  and  she  could  perceive  that  what  was  now 
needed  to  bring  light,  order  and  peace  out  of  seeming 
darkness,  chaos  and  discord  was  a  realizing  sense  of 
this  great  unity. 

This  was  why  the  future  of  Guelph  was  with  itself. 
The  one  Mind  had  fixed  the  laws  governing  man  and 
the  universe  and  all  that  mankind, — including  Guelph 
— had  to  do,  was  to  bring  itself  and  its  affairs  into  con- 
cord with  these  laws  in  order  to  live,  and  live  at  peace — 
in  other  words,  to  know  the  truth  which  makes  free. 

Again,  as  many  times  before  during  those  days  of 
trouble  and  discord,  she  realized  the  wonderful  mes- 
sage spoken  to  Moses:  "The  Lord  bless  thee,  and  keep 
thee;  the  Lord  make  his  face  to  shine  upon  thee;  the 
Lord  lift  up  his  countenance  upon  thee,  and  give  thee 
peace." 

What  did  it  mean  for  the  Lord  to  lift  up  his  counten- 
ance and  give  peace.  Surely  it  must  mean  for  Truth 
to  take  possession  of  men's  hearts  and  give  them  the 


344  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

rest  which  comes  with  the  destruction  of  all  sense  of  evil. 

"If  I  could  do  something,"  she  thought.  "If  I 
could  bring  the  people  over  which  I  might  have  been 
queen,  to  see  that  God — divine  Love — is  its  only 
salvation." 

It  was  the  longing  of  an  awakening  consciousness  to 
do  good.  The  longing  to  go  out  into  the  world  and 
preach  the  gospel  to  the  poor  and  needy — to  those  lack- 
ing the  understanding  of  God  as  Truth  and  Love,  and 
needing  it,  oh,  so  much. 

For  some  moments  she  sat  thus,  quietly  thinking, 
and  then  she  sprang  to  her  feet  and  turned  on  the  light. 

"And  why  can  I  not!"  she  exclaimed.  "Who  can 
say  that  this  is  not  my  mission,  and  this  the  time  ?" 

Her  eyes  sparkled  and  her  heart  beat  fast  with  the 
lofty  aspiration.     Then  as  quickly  her  thought  changed 

"But  how  can  I  ?  I  am  only  a  woman !  True,  women 
have  done  great  things,  but  the  masculine  qualities  so 
strong  in  some,  are  wanting  in  me.     I  need  some  one." 

Her  thoughts  turned  instinctively  to  John  and  Lucy, 
to  Constance  and  Judge  Taylor — who  were  even  now 
away  on  a  long  lecture  tour — to  Sir  AUin  and  Lady 
Strong,  and  then  she  thought  of  Tom.  For  just  a 
moment  her  heart  misgave  her.  Then  she  said  half 
aloud : 

"I  do  believe  in  him  and  trust  him.  He  is  learning 
his  lesson.  Perhaps  he  has  learned  it  as  I  am  learning 
mine." 

Then  she  recalled  Sir  AUin's  words:  "what  blesses 
one  blesses  all."  This  trial  through  which  she  and 
Tom  were  passing,  might  it  not  be  for  the  blessing  of 
the  nation.     But  right  now  Tom — 


A  HOUSE  DIVIDED  345 

She  caught  her  breath.  For  the  moment  she  had 
forgotten  her  summons  to  Lady  Beckworth.  What 
had  been  the  result  of  the  interview?  She  would  go 
and  see.  She  crossed  the  room  and  opened  the  door 
nearly  running  into  the  arms  of  a  stalwart  young  man 
who  was  rapidly  approaching  through  the  dimly  lighted 
hall.  She  started  back  and  then  gave  a  little  scream 
of  joy. 

"Tom!     Where  did  you  come  from?" 

"Recently  from  a  prison  cell."  he  replied  seizing 
both  her  outstretched  hands.  "More  recently  from 
Mrs.  Winslow's  apartment.  I  am  sent  to  tell  you  that 
your  presence  is  wanted  in  the  library,  where  a  family 
council  is  about  to  be  held." 

She  looked  at  him  half  shyly. 

"Are  you  included  ?"  she  asked,  and  then  her  face 
colored  as  he  replied  gravely: 

"Not  as  a  councilor.     Only  as  a  witness." 

She  looked  at  him  in  surprise.  What  was  there 
about  him  that  made  him  so  different  from  the  last 
time  they  had  met  ?  She  was  just  a  little  awed  by  the 
new  dignity  which  seemed  suddenly  to  have  come  to 
him. 

"I  know  little  of  what  has  transpired,"  he  told  her 
as  they  walked  down  the  hall.  "But  something  un- 
usual, or  I  would  not  have  been  so  suddenly  released. 
It  is  Mrs.  Winslow's  work,  I  think." 

"And  Lady  Beckworth?"  queried  Lady  Judith. 

"She  was  \v4th  Mrs.  Winslow  when  I  arrived  but  a 
moment  ago." 

As  the  two  approached  Lucy's  apartment  she  heard 
them  and  stepped  out  into  the  hall. 


346  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"Was  it  a  surprise?"  she  asked  as  her  face  lighted 
with  a  merry  smile. 

"Such  a  surprise!"  replied  Lady  Judith.  "Did 
Lady  Beckworth — ?" 

Lucy  placed  her  fingers  on  her  lips. 

"Do  not  ask  any  questions,  dear.  She  has  had  a 
hard  struggle.  I  think  you  will  hardly  recognize  her 
when  you  meet;  but  we  shall  see  you  presently  in  the 
library.  Mr.  Winslow  is  there  now.  Your  father 
and  the  king  will  also  be  there." 

"The  king?"  exclaimed  Lady  Judith. 

"Yes. 

"And,  Marchioness,"  continued  Lucy,  "much  may 
depend  upon  your  influence  with  your  uncle  at  this 
time.  Your  understanding  of  God  may  be  given  a 
severe  test.  Error  has  seemingly  been  very  powerful." 
Lady  Judith  looked  enquiringly  at  Lucy  and  then  cast 
an  appealing  glance  at  Tom. 

"Lady  Judith,"  he  said  firmly,  "many  times  in  the 
past  three  or  four  years,  you  have  upbraided  me  for  not 
living  up  to  my  convictions — my  boyhood  training.  I 
have  laughed  at  you  and  professed  scepticism — have 
declared  that  I  did  not  know  whether  these  great  veri- 
ties were  the  truth,  or  whether  the  Christian  Science 
concept  of  God  and  man  was  the  correct  one.  But 
my  utterances  were  not  honest.  Down  in  my  inner- 
most heart  I  have  always  known  that  they  were;  but  I 
was  unwilling  to  live  up  to  my  convictions — unwilling 
to  give  up  the  pleasures  of  sense  which  seemed  so  easily 
grasped,  for  the  joys  of  soul  which  entailed  such  watch- 
fulness and  care.  Now,  however,  I  have  been  brought 
to  a  realizing  sense  of  my  folly.     I  see  as  never  before 


A  HOUSE  DIVIDED  347 

the  vanity  of  material  pleasures  and  I  am  going  to  try 
and  undo  some  of  the  things  I  have  done." 

"But  I,  Tom,  I  have  not  even  had  your  training!" 
ejaculated  Lady  Judith. 

"I  have  not  quite  finished,"  said  the  young  man. 
"Not  only  have  I  come  to  realize  the  nothingness  of 
material  pleasures,  but  I  see  even  more  clearly  the 
nothingness  of  material  pain  and  discord  as  well.  This 
is  the  fact  that  first  becomes  clear  as  we  learn  to  know 
God  as  infinite  Spirit,  Truth  and  Love — infinite  good. 
This  you  do  understand  and  can  make  clear  to  the  king. 
The  unreality  of  material  pleasure  is  recognized  more 
slowly  for  it  seems  to  us  to  be  so  much  nearer  good." 

Lucy  had  been  earnestly  observing  the  two  young 
people.  She  thought  of  her  own  girlhood  and  the  time 
of  great  national  disquiet  in  which  she  and  John  first 
met,  and  her  heart  went  out  to  them. 

"Children,"  she  said  gravely,  "a  great  work  is  before 
you!  The  strength  to  do  it  is  from  above.  But  you 
can  find  true  happiness  only  as  you  lose  all  sense  of 
self  and  seek  this  happiness  in  the  good  of  others." 

Then  coming  back  to  the  present:  "But  the  gentle- 
men will  be  awaiting  us.  You  had  better  go.  Lady 
Beckworth  and  I  will  come  presently.  And  remember 
when  you  meet  her,  dear,  that  Jesus  taught  that  those 
love  most,  to  whom  most  is  forgiven." 

As  Lady  Judith  and  Tom  descended  the  stairs  and 
approached  the  library  they  perceived  that  the  king 
had  already  arrived.  Tom  retreated  to  the  drawing- 
room  in  case  his  presence  should  be  required,  while 
Lady  Judith  entered  the  library  alone. 

The  three  men  were  standing  about  the  table.     As 


348  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

Lady  Judith  entered  the  king  exclaimed  in  a  voice  of 
great  vehemence: 

"Fiction,  gentlemen,  fiction!  The  veriest  fairy 
tale.     I  tell  you  I  do  not  believe  it." 

"Nevertheless,  Your  Majesty,"  replied  John,  "the 
rest  of  us  are  fully  convinced  that  it  is  the  truth." 

"Then,"  exclaimed  the  king  triumphantly, " why  any 
further  need  of  alarm  ?  Why  not  use  this  same  power 
to  destroy  the  rest  of  the  fleets  of  the  world  as  they 
approach  our  shores.?" 

"Because,"  replied  the  duke  earnestly,  "the  mind 
which  projected  this  mighty  power  is  shattered — the 
man  is  mad." 

"Not  so  mad,"  laughed  the  king,  "as  you  who  be- 
lieve this  woman's  tale." 

"But,  Uncle  Albert,"  said  Lady  Judith  coming  for- 
ward, "you  released  Tom  Allin  upon  her  confession! 
You  must  have  believed  that!" 

"Because  it  was  in  accord  with  common  sense.  I 
never  believed  her  original  charge  and  only  imprisoned 
him  to  please  Aukland."  Then  looking  at  Lady  Judith 
somewhat  sternly:  "Are  you,  too,  leagued  against  me?" 

"O  Uncle  Albert!"  exclaimed  Lady  Judith.  "Not 
against  you ;  but  I  do  believe  this  is  the  greatest  oppor- 
tunity that  ever  came  to  a  king — " 

"To  give  up  his  throne,  eh?"  interrupted  Albert. 
"Remember,  girl,  what  this  would  mean  to  you!" 

Lady  Judith  was  silent — her  fair  face  was  pale;  but 
in  her  eyes  there  was  no  indecision. 

"I  have  considered  it  well,"  she  said,  "and  though 
this  righteous  act  shall  prevent  me  from  ever  sitting  on 
the  throne  of  Guelph,  I  am  willing  and  anxious  to  see 


A  HOUSE  DIVIDED  S49 

it  done  even  though  I  could  save  the  throne  by  war 
But,"  and  she  looked  the  king  fearlessly  in  the  face, 
"I  could  not  bear  to  have  the  kingdom  wrested  from 
us  by  force." 

"If  you  are  so  sure  of  this  woman's  story,"  exclaimed 
his  majesty  cynically,  "why  not  tell  it  to  the  world  and 
hide  behind  her  skirts — and — "  he  added  as  an  after- 
thought— "the  dream  of  a  madman!" 

"That  is  just  what  we  propose,"  exclaimed  the  duke, 
"but  how  do  you  expect  us  to  make  the  world  believe 
it,  when  even  our  own  king  will  not?" 

The  king  laughed — and  the  laugh  was  a  sneer. 

"I  do  not,"  he  said.  "Instead  of  believing,  the 
world  would  take  it  as  a  sign  of  weakness  and  press  on 
harder  than  ever.  Therefore,"  he  added  sternly,  "I 
absolutely  forbid  any  of  you  so  much  as  to  whisper  the 
story  abroad." 

The  little  group  stood  amazed,  not  knowing  what  to 
say  or  do.  But  Lucy,  who  entered  at  that  moment 
eased  the  situation  by  asking: 

"Your  Majesty,  would  you  not  like  to  question  Lady 
Beckworth?" 

"No!  Nor  the  madman  either;  unless,  perhaps,  he 
would  tell  us  how  to  acquire  this  wonderful  discovery." 

"That,  Your  Majesty,  is  impossible,"  replied  John 
gravely. 

"Why?"  asked  the  king  turning  fiercely  upon  him, 
while  the  sneer  in  his  voice  evidenced  the  thought  back 
of  the  question.  "Why?  If  this  religion  of  yours  is 
able  to  heal  the  sick  and  cast  out  devils,  why  can  you 
not  restore  this  man  to  his  senses,  so  that  he  may  make 
known  the  great  secret?" 


350  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"Because,"  replied  John  sternly,  " it  would  be  giving 
power  to  evil.  It  would  be  healing  him  that  he  might 
become  the  channel  for  even  a  greater  error.  When 
this  evil — this  devil,  as  you  call  it,  this  sinful  desire 
of  false  sense  to  bring  disaster  and  death  has  been 
destroyed,  his  healing  will  follow." 

Albert  threw  back  his  head  with  a  short  laugh. 

"A  very  plausible  story,  Mr.  Winslow.  It  does 
credit  to  your  diplomacy.  But,"  turning  to  Lady 
Judith,  "do  you  believe  this  sophistry?  Are  you  for- 
saking the  religion  of  your  ancestors  .'^" 

Lady  Judith  took  a  step  forward,  while  all  noted 
with  wonder  her  new  dignity. 

"Your  Majesty,"  she  said  quietly,  "you  ask  if  I  am 
forsaking  the  religion  of  my  ancestors?  I  answer  no! 
I  am  just  beginning  to  realize  the  true  import  of  that 
religion.  I  am  just  beginning  to  realize  the  truth 
about  God  and  man. 

"For  centuries  my  ancestors  have  been  declaring: 
*God  is  omnipotent!'  Many  times,  Your  Majesty,  I 
have  heard  you  make  this  same  declaration.  Now,  as 
head  of  the  nation,  I  ask  you  to  prove  it." 

Startled  by  the  unexpected  demand,  the  king  took  a 
step  backward  and  the  marchioness  drew  a  step  nearer. 

"Your  Majesty,"  she  continued,  "if  God,  whom 
the  Scriptures  emphatically  declare  to  be  Love — is 
omnipotent,  we  have  no  need  of  warships,  fortifica- 
tions and  the  inventions  of  fear  and  hate.  What  we 
need  is  faith — the  faith  that  is  born  of  understanding. 
This  is  the  truth  that  I  am  beginning  to  learn.  This 
the  gospel  I  hope  to  preach.  This  the  religion  I  hope 
to  live." 


A  HOUSE  DIVII3ED  351 

She  ceased  speaking.  For  a  moment  Albert  seemed 
moved  with  a  new  impulse,  but  his  mood  quickly 
changed  and  with  a  shrug  of  his  shoulders  he  exclaimed: 

"It  sounds  well;  but  it  is  impracticable.  It  is  not 
preachers  we  now  need,  but  men  of  action;  men  like 
this  very  George  Benton  whom  you  again  accuse,  as 
you  did  once  before  and  drove  from  the  kingdom. 
Why,"  turning  to  the  duke,  "he  had  more  wit  in  his 
little  finger  for  a  time  like  this,  than  your  whole 
cabinet." 

The  duke's  face  flushed:  "Your  Majesty,"  he  replied 
with  great  dignity,  "it  is  not  wisdom  to  do  evil.  As 
head  of  the  church  you  should  know  that  it  is  written: 
'The  wisdom  of  the  world  is  foolishness  to  God.'  " 

The  king  looked  at  his  brother-in-law  in  surprise. 
"Et  tu  Brute!"  he  sneered.  "So  you,  too,  are  a  part 
of  the  conspiracy  to  rob  me  of  my  throne?"  Then 
fiercely:  "But  I  will  not  be  moved!  You  are  all 
insane!     I  will  seek  new  councilors." 

He  turned  to  leave  the  room,  but  at  the  door  en- 
countered Lucy  who,  with  great  gentleness,  said : 

"Your  Majesty,  if  you  would  seek  counsel  elsewhere, 
will  you  not  seek  it  from  the  words  of  one  of  the  wisest 
men  who  ever  wrote.'  Will  you  let  me  read  you  one 
brief  story  from  the  book  of  books,  in  this  hour  of  such 
seeming  great  peril  to  you  and  to  your  kingdom  ?" 

Albert  started  as  though  he  would  refuse;  but  her 
gentle  face  and  fearless  eye  caused  him  to  change  his 
mind  and  he  said: 

"If  it  is  not  too  long." 

Opening  the  Bible  to  the  ninth  chapter  of  Eccle- 
siastes,  Lucy  read:  "This  wisdom  have  I  seen  also 


352  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

under  the  sun,  and  it  seemed  great  unto  me:  There 
was  a  Uttle  city,  and  a  few  men  within  it;  and  there 
came  a  great  king  against  it,  and  besieged  it,  and  built 
great  bulwarks  against  it;  Now  there  was  found  in  it  a 
poor  wise  man,  and  he  by  his  wisdom  delivered  the 
city;  yet  no  man  remembered  that  same  poor  man. 
Then  said  I,  Wisdom  is  better  than  strength;  never- 
theless the  poor  man's  wisdom  is  despised,  and  his  words 
are  not  heard.  Wisdom  is  better  than  weapons  of  war; 
but  one  sinner  destroyeth  much  good." 

For  a  moment  as  she  finished  there  was  silence. 
Then,  with  that  same  contempt  in  his  voice,  the  king 
exclaimed : 

"There  are  no  such  men  here.  I  shall  hold  to  my 
policy." 


CHAPTER  XVIir 

ON   THE   ROAD   TO    DAMASCUS 

When  Benton  and  Dorothy  left  Chicago  for  Elm- 
born  it  was  eighteen  hours  after  the  explosion  in  the 
harbor.  It  was  only  thirty-four  hours  after  the  dis- 
aster when  they  arrived  at  Topolobampo  over  the 
Kansas  City,  Mexico  and  Orient,  which,  equipped 
with  the  latest  style  of  electric  locomotives  and  having 
adopted  the  single  rail  system  but  the  year  previous, 
was  now  running  its  trains  at  a  speed  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty  miles  an  hour,  with  as  little  trouble  as  it 
had  required  to  attain  a  speed  of  seventy  miles  under 
the  old  steam  locomotive  and  double  rail  system. 

During  the  trip  down  from  Chicago,  Benton  had 
confessed  his  part  in  the  plot  and  expressed  a  great 
desire  to  right  the  wrong.  He  had  steadily  improved 
under  Dorothy's  treatment,  and,  by  the  time  they  reached 
Topolobampo,  was  able  to  walk  from  the  train  to  the 
wharf,  where  the  Falcon  lay  ready  to  sail  at  a  moment's 
notice.  No  sooner  was  the  little  party  of  three  on 
board,  than  the  signal  was  given,  and  the  magnificent 
and  swift-sailing  craft  swung  out  into  the  harbor,  sped 
rapidly  down  the  gulf  and  was  soon  out  on  the  broad 
Pacific. 

Constructed  at  a  cost  of  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
dollars — the  builders  having  been  ordered  to  spare  no 

353 


354  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

expense  to  equip  the  vessel  with  the  very  latest  devices 
in  the  way  of  electrical  and  propelling  machinery — 
the  Falcon  was  all  that  its  name  implied.  Eighteen 
hours  out,  she  overhauled  the  swiftest  cruisers  of  the 
United  States  navy  sent  out  twelve  hours  previous  and 
passed  them  as  though  they  had  been  standing  still. 
So  swiftly  did  she  skim  the  blue  waters  that  Dorothy, 
standing  beside  Benton  in  the  bow  of  the  yacht  and 
noticing  by  other  fast  vessels  the  speed  at  which  they 
were  going,  remarked : 

"How  rapidly  human  thought  is  changing  its  views 
of  space,  and  how  small  a  thing  is  the  globe  becoming." 

"And  this  ver}'  fact,"  replied  Benton,  "seems  to  be 
driving  its  inhabitants  farther  and  farther  apart,  by 
increasing  competition  and  strife." 

"Only  seems,"  replied  Dorothy  laughing.  "To 
me  it  is  clear  that  men  are  year  by  year  being  drawn 
more  closely  together." 

For  some  minutes  Benton  was  lost  in  thought  and 
then,  as  to  himself ,  exclaimed :  "  'What  is  man  that  thou 
art  mindful  of  him?  and  the  son  of  man  that  thou 
visiteth  him .''' " 

Dorothy  caught  his  words  and  as  he  again  lapsed 
into  silence  continued  the  quotation  as  though  in 
answer: 

"  'For  thou  hast  made  him  a  little  lower  than  the 
angels  and  hast  crowned  him  with  glory  and  honor. 
Thou  madest  him  to  have  dominion  over  the  works  of 
thy  hand,  thou  hast  put  all  things  under  his  feet.'  " 

He  looked  up  at  her  in  surprise.  "I  had  forgotten 
that  part,"  he  said.  "Do  you  think  that  applies  to 
me?" 


ON  THE  ROAD  TO  DAMASCUS         355 

"It  applies  to  man,"  replied  Dorothy.  "To  man 
in  the  likeness  of  God.  Is  that  the  kind  of  a  man 
you  think  you  are  ?  How  near  do  you  think  you  meas- 
ure up  to  the  standard  ?" 

Benton's  eyes  assumed  a  startled  expression.  'T 
never  thought  of  it  in  that  way  before!  How  do  you 
think  of  man .''" 

"As  an  idea  of  God,  the  image  of  infinite  good." 

"I  am  afraid  I  cannot  comprehend  infinite  good," 
said  Benton  sadly. 

"Suppose  we  illustrate,"  said  Dorothy  without  heed- 
ing his  interruption.  "Let  us  take  the  synonyms  for 
God  and  analyze  them.  From  Love  emanates  affec- 
tion, good-will,  charity,  devotion,  unselfishness,  grati- 
tude, a  desire  to  aid  our  fellow-man,  and  all  the  kindred 
desires.  From  Truth  emanates  truthfulness,  honesty, 
confidence,  faith,  wisdom,  purity  in  every  thought  and 
act;  in  fact  every  idea  opposed  to  error.  From  Life 
emanates  existence,  health,  harmony,  action,  immor- 
tality and  all  the  kindred  ideas  that  have  to  do  with 
right  thinking  and  right  living.  In  short  from  infinite 
good,  God,  emanates  every  idea  of  goodness,  holiness, 
and  purity." 

"But  how  does  that  answer  the  question  as  to  what 
man  is?" 

"Can  you  not  see,"  replied  Dorothy,  calmly,  "that 
if  man  is  the  idea  of  God,  reflecting  all  right  ideas,  he 
must  embody  affection,  truthfulness,  good-will,  charity, 
honesty,  confidence,  faith,  wisdom,  intelligence,  purity, 
holiness,  healthfulness;  in  short  all  the  goodness  that 
can  be  comprised  in  one  grand  idea  and  which,  as  any- 
one may  see,  eventuates  in  immortal  and  eternal  per- 


356  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

fection — the  image  and  likeness  of  God,  Mind,  Life, 
Truth  and  Love  ?" 

Benton  moved  himself  excitedly.  "And  I  thought 
I  was  a  man !"  he  exclaimed.  " Fool !  Fool !  that  I  am !" 
and  he  covered  his  face  with  his  hands.  "Can  I  ever 
gain  this  true  manhood  ?" 

Dorothy  laid  her  hand  gently  on  his  arm. 

"Yes,"  she  said,  "for  the  voice  of  God  is  calling 
to  you — 'awake  to  righteousness  and  sin  not.'  " 

"But  how  am  I  to  attain  this  goodness — how  am  I 
to  dig  it  out,  as  it  were,  from  under  this  pile  of  error 
as  you  call  it.''" 

"  T  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life,'  "  quoted 
Dorothy.  "  'No  man  cometh  to  the  Father  but 
through  me!'  declared  Christ  Jesus.  There  is  but 
one  way  to  gain  that  harmony  which  is  heaven.  It  is 
through  Christ;  through  a  spiritual  understanding  of 
Truth!  It  is  to  know  no  God  but  good.  Thus  will 
we  lose  the  sense  of  evil  and  only  thus.  Infinite  good 
is  ever  present.  We  have  only  to  open  our  eyes  to  the 
spiritual  light  to  see  it." 

"I  seem  like  a  blind  man  just  recovering  his  sight," 
said  Benton.  "Even  the  little  glimpse  of  light  that 
comes  to  me  gives  me  pain." 

"Then  there  is  great  hope  for  you!"  declared  Dorothy 
"Do  you  remember  how  Paul's  eyes  were  blinded, 
when,  as  Saul  of  Tarsus,  he  was  on  the  road  to  Damas- 
cus. This  sudden  outburst  of  spiritual  light  in  the 
darkness  of  materiality,  must  of  needs  blind  the  eyes  of 
those  not  prepared  to  receive  it.  But  Paul  was  healed 
of  his  blindness  by  a  disciple,  as  I  am  sure  you  will  be — 
even  by  my  humble  words  and  prayers — so  that  to  you 


ON  THE  ROAD  TO  DAMASCUS         357 

as  *to  all  flesh,  the  glory  of  the  Lord  shall  be  revealed.'  " 

Benton  looked  out  over  the  broad  expanse  of  the 
Pacific  and  there  came  to  him  that  passage  of  Scripture 
which,  as  a  boy,  he  had  often  heard  his  mother  quote: 
"They  shall  not  hurt  nor  destroy  in  all  thy  holy  moun- 
tain; for  the  earth  shall  be  full  of  the  knowledge  of  the 
Lord,  as  the  waters  cover  the  sea." 

"Would  that  I  might  have  this  knowledge!"  he 
murmured.  "O  that  I  could  understand  the  ever 
presence  of  this  infinite  good!" 

"  It  will  come,"  said  Dorothy.  "All  who  seek  earnestly 
shall  find." 

"But  it  is  so  abstract,"  he  declared.  "I  have  been 
used  to  seeing  something  tangible.  I  pride  myself 
that  I  am  eminently  practical.  I  want  to  do  something 
and  I  want  to  do  it  quick." 

"With  God  there  is  no  time,"  replied  Dorothy. 
"When  you  understand  and  are  able  to  grasp  the  true 
substance  of  life,  you  will  find  that  it  is  tangible." 

An  attendant  announcing  dinner  interrupted  the 
conversation  and  they  went  below  to  partake  of  their 
first  meal  on  this  strange  voyage.  It  was  an  almost 
silent  repast,  interrupted  only  by  the  commonest 
table  conversation.  As  Dorothy  was  about  to  return 
to  the  large  forward  cabin,  which  had  been  especially 
arranged  for  her,  Benton  asked:  "Have  you  an  extra 
copy  of  your  text  book.?  I  feel  that  I  am  fully  able 
now  to  read  it  for  myself." 

The  book  was  promptly  forthcoming  and  far  into 
the  night  Benton  studied  and  imbibed  its  healing 
truths,  with  no  sound  to  interrupt  or  indicate  the 
presence  of  human  thought,  save  the  ceaseless  throb 


358  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

of  the  engine  that  was  so  swiftly  propelling  him  toward 
the  place  where  his  material  sacrifice  was  to  be  made. 

To  cover  a  distance  of  seven  thousand  miles  takes 
time,  even  for  so  swift  a  vessel  as  the  Falcon;  but  to 
Benton  it  was  time  well  spent.  With  his  willingness 
to  learn  as  a  little  child,  and  with  a  mind  trained  to 
grasp  intricate  problems,  he  progressed  rapidly.  Look- 
ing up  out  of  the  dense  darkness  of  sin  and  materiality, 
the  light  of  Truth  and  Love  appeared  even  brighter  to 
him  than  to  many  who  catch  the  first  faint  gleam 
through  the  vanishing  clouds  of  physical  disease.  His 
suffering  had  been  that  keen,  mental  anguish,  which 
comes  with  the  first  consciousness  of  the  awful  abyss 
over  which  the  sinner  is  hanging. 

Noting  the  change  which  had  so  rapidly  come  over 
him,  changing  not  only  his  physical  condition  but  his 
mental  attitude,  Dorothy,  to  encourage  him  said  one 
day: 

"You  are  progressing  rapidly,  Mr.  Benton.  Like 
Paul  you  have  been  turned  about  completely." 

HadijfjLaTa  fiaOrj^ara,  he  quoted.  "As  I  read  in  my 
Herodotus,  one  learns  by  suftering." 

"By  the  pains  of  sense,"  replied  Dorothy. 

"But,  I  feel  that  I  am  not  progressing  as  fast  as  you 
think,"  he  continued.  "While  I  am  firmly  convinced 
of  the  awful  evil  into  which  I  had  fallen;  while  I  recog- 
nize the  enormity  of  the  crime  I  have  committed  and 
am  not  only  willing,  but  anxious,  to  pay  whatever  pen- 
alty the  people  of  Guelph  see  fit  to  mete  out  to  me,  I 
understand  but  faintly  the  process  by  which  my 
physical  healing  has  come." 

*'It  is  not  necessary  for  the  present  that  you  should," 


ON  THE  ROAD  TO  DAMASCUS         359 

replied  Dorothy.  "In  proportion  as  mortal  mind  is 
eliminated  by  the  divine  Mind — as  mortality  is  swal- 
lowed up  in  immortality,  the  body  will  manifest  these 
changes  until  finally  the  old  man  with  his  deeds  is  put 
off,  and  we  attain  to  spiritual  consciousness.  As  ex- 
pressed in  John:  'We  know  that  when  He  shall  appear 
(be  manifested)  we  shall  be  like  Him.'  Then  will 
appear  the  spiritual  body  and  not  till  then. 

"As  thought  becomes  more  spiritual,  we  experience 
the  new  birth  to  which  Jesus  referred  when  he  said: 
'Unless  a  man  be  born  again  he  cannot  enter  into  the 
kingdom  of  heaven.'  With  this  new  birth  we  shall 
experience  spiritual  growth,  with  no  decay;  and  the 
culmination,  instead  of  being  death,  will  be  eternal  life." 

"That  is  an  inspiring  thought,"  said  Benton  medita- 
tively, "and  still  it  does  not  seem  to  answer  my  question 
of  how  the  physical  body  is  healed." 

"As  thought  changes,  as  we  become  more  spiritual — 
that  is  as  we  come  to  lay  aside  false,  material  beliefs 
for  spiritual  understanding — come  to  think  right  in- 
stead of  wrong,  good  instead  of  evil ,  and  truth  instead 
of  error;  in  other  words  as  we  begin  to  put  on  immor- 
tality— ^for  purity  and  holiness  are  immortal — the  body 
begins  to  express  this  change  of  thought  and  to  become 
more  harmonious.  The  struggles  we  make  and  the 
pains  and  sorrows  we  endure  in  getting  rid  of  these 
material  beliefs  are  the  travail  of  spiritual  birth." 

"And  I  am  undergoing  these  pains  even  now,"  said 
Benton.  "When  you  first  began  to  talk  and  when  I 
first  began  to  read  the  little  book,  I  simply  could  not 
believe  it — it  was  so  contrary  to  all  of  my  previously 
acquired  knowledge. — " 


360  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"Which  is  really  not  knowledge  at  all,"  interrupted 
Dorothy,  "because  it  is  an  asserted  knowledge  of  some- 
thing which  has  no  real  existence.  Every  accretion  of 
false  sense  is  but  a  stumbUng  block  in  our  ascent  to 
spirituality,  right  thinking;  and  the  more  technical  and 
profound  this  false  sense,  the  greater  the  obstruction 
it  proves." 

"I  see  that  now,"  declared  Benton  humbly.  "But 
it  is  a  thousand  times  easier  for  me  to  give  up  these 
beliefs,  than  to  give  up  my  cherished  revenge  on  those 
whom  I  have  so  long  charged  with  robbing  me  of  the 
power  I  craved." 

He  bowed  his  face  in  his  hands  and  Dorothy,  noting 
his  attitude  with  great  compassion,  softly  quoted: 

"  'For  thine,  O  Lord,  is  the  greatness  and  the  power 
and  the  glory  and  the  victory  and  the  majesty;  for  all 
that  is  in  the  heaven  and  in  the  earth  is  thine;  thine  is 
the  kingdom,  O  Lord,  and  thou  art  exalted  as  head 
above  all.' 

"When  you  come  to  realize  this,  the  craving  for 
power  apart  from  the  spiritual  power  that  comes  with 
a  knowledge  of  your  unity  with  God,  will  cease  and 
you  will  be  able  to  forgive,  even  as  you  would  be 
forgiven. 

"It  is  pretty  hard,  however,"  she  continued,  "for  one 
to  love  one's  enemies,  but  it  can  be  done,  or  Jesus 
would  not  have  commanded  it." 

On  still  another  occasion  Dorothy  found  Benton 
sitting  under  the  awning,  lost  in  thought.  For  a  mo- 
ment he  did  not  notice  her,  but  rising  as  soon  as  he 
became  aware  of  her  presence,  he  brought  her  a  chair 
and  seated  himself  beside  lier. 


ON  THE  ROAD  TO  DAMASCUS         361 

"If  I  am  spared  to  this  world  after  I  reach  Elmborn," 
he  said,  "I  should  like  to  follow  Jesus'  command,  to 
the  rich  young  man.  I  should  like  to  sell  all  I  have  and 
give  it  to  the  poor  and  follow  Christ.  I  should  like  to 
devote  the  remainder  of  my  life  to  this  work." 

"But  before  you  do  this,"  warned  Dorothy,  "be 
sure  you  understand  who  the  poor  are.  Certainly 
there  can  be  no  reason  why  you  should  not  devote  your 
life  to  the  work." 

"But  the  healing?  I  seem  to  get  a  fair  idea  of  the 
Principle,  but  how  is  it  applied  ?  I  do  not  seem  to 
grasp  it.     I  was  healed  and  I  had  no  faith." 

"But  I  had,"  was  Dorothy's  quick  rejoinder.  "I 
understood!  I  knew  the  truth,  and  its  eternal  energy 
rightly  directed,  restored  you  to  health — that  harmon- 
ious state  which  man,  in  the  living  likeness  of  a  living 
God,  cannot  lose." 

"But, — I  am  not  that  man,"  said  Benton. 

"Not  yet,"  replied  Dorothy. 

With  such  conversations  as  these  and  with  hours  of 
thoughtful  reading  and  earnest  prayer  the  days  sped 
quickly  by.  So  absorbed  had  Benton  become  with 
the  study  of  these  saving  truths  and  the  ceaseless 
struggle  to  purify  his  own  thoughts,  that  he  had  made 
no  attempt  since  leaving  the  Mexican  coast  to  com- 
municate with  Guelph  or  the  outside  world,  although 
the  Falcon  was  equipped  with  a  wireless  outfit  attuned 
to  stations  in  the  plants  of  the  many  great  enterprises 
in  which  he  was  interested.  His  one  aim  was  to  get 
back  to  Elmborn  and  interpose  his  confession  between 
Guelph  and  destruction;  to  check  the  evil  thoughts 
which  he  had  set  in  motion. 


362  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

When  but  one  day  out  from  port,  however,  the  opera- 
tor was  startled  by  Benton's  personal  call.  He  at  once 
answered,  and  sent  a  message  to  Benton,  who  came  to 
the  operator's  cabin. 

"It  is  from  our  refineries  in  Honolulu,"  said  the 
operator.  "Several  messages  have  been  forwarded 
thither,  where  it  was  reported  you  had  gone  from 
Chicago." 

There  was  a  brief  wait,  and  thinking  that  Dorothy 
might  be  interested  Benton  sent  for  her.  She  arrived 
just  as  the  operator  had  written  out  and  handed  him 
the  first  message.  It  read .- ' '  Hon.  George  Lytton  Benton, 
Calumet  House,  Chicago,  U.  S.  A.  Lackland  minis- 
try threatened.     What  next  ?     Blucher." 

Benton  read  it  and  handed  it  to  Dorothy.  She 
glanced  at  it  and  then  looked  up  into  his  face.  He 
was  very  pale  but  in  his  eyes  she  detected  tears  and  a 
look  she  had  not  seen  there  before. 

His  voice  trembled  as  he  spoke:  "Too  late!"  he  said. 
"Too  late!"  Then  suddenly.  "But  it  shall  not  be! 
He  is  the  man  for  the  place." 

Dorothy's  heart  gave  a  joyous  throb:  "It  is  the  leaven 
of  love,"  she  said  to  herself. 

She  was  about  to  speak  but  the  operator  handed 
Benton  another  message.  This  he  read  and  also 
handed  to  Dorothy.  It  was  also  from  Blucher  and 
read  as  follows:  "People  aroused.  Demand  to  know 
the  facts." 

"Wretched  man  that  I  am!"  he  moaned. 

A  third  message  was  coming.  Even  the  operator 
trembled  with  excitement  as  he  handed  it  to  Benton 
who,  in  turn,  passed  it  to  Dorothy  vsdthout  looking  ai 


ON  THE  ROAD  TO  DAMASCUS         363 

it.  "Read  it  to  me,"  he  said.  "My  heart  fails  me. 
My  poor  country!     My  poor  country!" 

Dorothy  read  as  follows:  "Hon.  George  Lytton 
Benton,  M.  P.,  Calumet  House,  Chicago,  U.  S.  A. 
Will  you  return  at  once  and  form  a  new  ministry. 
Albert,  Rex." 

Benton  reached  out  his  hand  for  the  paper.  "Im- 
possible!" he  exclaimed.  "Impossible!"  Then  to  the 
operator.     "Send  the  following  direct  to  Elmbom. 

"To  his  majesty,  Albert  II — king  of  Guelph.  On 
my  way  home  but  cannot  accept.  I  am  the  guilty  man. 
Sign  Benton." 

"Is  it  wise.^"  asked  Dorothy. 

"  I  am  sure  it  is,"  he  replied.     "  It  is  my  life  or  theirs." 

The  operator  hesitated. 

"Send  it,"  commanded  Benton. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE    CONSCIENCE   OF   THE   KING 

The  hot  December  sun  is  beating  fiercely  upon  the 
streets  of  Elmborn  which  are  rife  with  people  pacing 
restlessly  up  and  down.  The  city  is  filled  with  tumult. 
Unrest  and  disquiet,  coupled  with  dissatisfaction  and 
fear  are  on  every  hand. 

It  is  the  day  before  Christmas,  but  the  spirit  of 
Christmas  seems  absolutely  wanting.  While  in  the 
minds  of  these  same  multitudes — which  have  come  to 
the  city  from  every  part  of  the  great  island  kingdom — 
the  spirit  of  Christ,  Truth,  has  been  coming  with  greater 
power  year  by  year,  in  this  terrible  stress  of  unrest  and 
uncertainty,  the  appearance  of  that  peace  on  earth 
which  the  heavenly  hosts  foretold,  seems  farther  off 
than  for  many  years.  Only  to  the  all-seeing  eye  of 
Love  is  the  nearness  of  its  manifestation  perceptible. 

And  so  it  is,  on  this  hot  December  day,  that  great 
crowds  throng  the  streets,  filled  with  a  sense  of  unrest. 
They  line  the  business  thoroughfares,  they  fill  the  parks, 
plazas  and  market  places  and  they  surge  against  the 
steps  of  the  parliament  house,  wherein  their  repre- 
sentatives are  gathered  in  a  vain  endeavor  to  decide 
upon  the  kingdom's  future. 

As  the  hour  of  noon  approaches  the  excitement  upon 
the  streets  becomes  intense.     Parliament  has  now  been 

364 


THE  CONSCIENCE  OF  THE  KING      365 

in  continuous  session  since  midnight.  With  each  suc- 
ceeding hour,  fresh  rumors  have  come  out  of  the  legis- 
lative halls. 

"Aukland  is  speaking!"  is  the  report  that  now  comes 
through  the  doors  and  penetrates  into  the  crowd.  "He 
supports  the  king." 

"Sir  William  Moreland  has  the  floor,"  is  the  next 
information.     "His  voice  is  for  war." 

Cries  of  dissent  are  heard.  "What  of  Lackland? 
What  of  the  premier?" 

"Lackland  has  demanded  a  vote,"  is  the  answering  cry. 

"A  vote!  A  vote'"  shouted  the  crowd  and  then  over 
all  is  silence. 

Two,  three,  five,  ten  minutes  thus  pass  and  then 
comes  the  announcement:  "The  vote  is  lost!  The 
ministry  has  fallen." 

"It  means  war!"  cries  one.  "No!  No!"  shouted 
the  multitude,  "we'll  have  no  war." 

The  people  surge  back  and  forth.  Orators  spring 
up  on  every  side.  But  the  great  crowd  still  throngs 
the  plaza. 

"The  king  is  addressing  the  House  of  Lords,"  is 
the  next  news.  "He  announces  that  he  has  called  ex- 
premier  Benton  to  form  a  new  ministry  and  that  Mr. 
Benton  is  on  his  way  home — is  expected  any  hour." 

Having  fully  resolved  to  discredit  the  confession  of 
Lady  Beckworth,  feeling  sure  of  his  ability  to  lure 
Benton  by  giving  him  still  greater  power,  and  deter- 
mined in  spite  of  all  opposition  to  fight  for  his  throne, 
his  pride  and  his  self-will,  the  king  had  completely 
ignored  Benton's  reference  to  his  guilt  and  his  refusal 
to  form  a  new  ministr)% 


366  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"When  he  arrives,"  was  Albert's  thought,  "he  will 
be  glad  to  yield  to  my  will." 

And  so  he  had  now  announced  to  the  parliament  that 
he  had  summoned  Benton  and  that  he  will  soon  be 
home. 

When  the  announcement  reached  the  people  there 
was  a  shout  of  approval  which  was  lost  in  a  cry  of:  "No! 
Nol     He  is  for  war!" 

"He  does  things,"  cried  another.  "How  do  you 
know  he  is  for  war?" 

"That's  right!  Hurrah  for  Benton!"  And  the 
crowd  again  surged  and  rolled. 

But  in  spite  of  all  the  excitement  there  was  no  violence. 
The  people  in  one  respect  were  of  one  mind  and  that 
mind  was  peaceable.  Soldiers,  sailors  and  policemen 
passed  through  the  crowd  and  found  no  o(;casion  for 
arrests.  It  was  the  same  spirit  which  had  possessed  the 
populace  on  a  memorable  day  in  the  history  of  the 
United  States  of  America  when  the  streets  of  Philadel- 
phia were  filled  with  people  awaiting  the  signing  of  that 
wonderful  declaration  which  brought  not  only  independ- 
ence to  the  American  people,  but  which  has  brought 
freedom  of  thought,  speech  and  action  to  mankind  in 
many  lands. 

With  the  news  of  the  fall  of  the  ministry  and  the 
king's  announcement  regarding  Benton,  the  people  for 
a  time  sought  the  newspaper  offices  and  listened  to  the 
foreign  news  as  it  was  cried  out  from  the  towers.  While 
it  was  disquieting  it  indicated  a  few  more  days  of  grace; 
but  ultimate  war  and  destruction  stared  them  in  the 
face. 

As  the  ministry  had  fallen,  so  now  the  nation  seemed 


THE  CONSCIENCE  OF  THE  KING      367 

doomed;  for  it,  too,  seemed  a  house  divided  against 
itself.  The  people  are  for  peace.  The  king  and  his 
military  advisers  are  for  war.  At  this  very  hour  they 
are  asking  parliament  to  vote  the  appropriation  neces- 
sary for  its  vigorous  prosecution,  while  outside  the 
people  clamor. 

For  hours  this  tumult  has  filled  Elmborn.  Hundreds 
of  open-air  meetings,  with  thousands  in  attendance 
have  been  held.  Aroused  by  the  report  that  the  Duke 
of  Lackland,  advised  by  the  American  commissioner, 
had  counselled  immediate  and  complete  disarmament 
as  the  only  means  of  preserving  the  integrity  of  the 
nation,  the  suggestion  has  found  an  immediate  and 
hearty  response  in  the  public  mind,  which  had  for  a 
week  been  torn  with  conflicting  doubts  and  fears. 

Peace  was  the  popular  slogan. 

But  would  national  disarmament  in  the  face  of 
threatened  annihilation  at  the  hands  of  the  angry  na- 
tions, bring  peace .?  Would  it  pay  the  debt  ?  Would 
the  sacrifice  of  national  pride  and  military  power  con- 
stitute the  price  demanded  ?  Would  not  the  nations 
still  clamor  for  their  pound  of  flesh  ?  Would  they  not 
more  than  ever  take  occasion  to  glut  their  greed  .''  And 
would  not  disarmament  mean  simply  entrance  into 
voluntary  servitude  ? 

"Better  such  servitude,"  declared  one  speaker,  "than 
enforced  slavery.  Surely  it  is  easier  to  bear  a  burden 
we  have  ourselves  assumed,  than  one  which  has  been 
forced  upon  us." 

"Yielding  to  righteousness  will  not  bring  servitude," 
declared  another  speaker.  "The  world  is  now  becom- 
ing Christianized  in  fact,  as  for  hundred  of  years  it  has 


S6S  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

been  in  theory.  Put  yourselves  in  the  place  of  those 
other  nations.  What  would  you  do?  What  would 
you  do  right  here  and  now  if  one  whom  you  considered 
your  enemy,  should  give  positive  proof  that  he  had  no 
enmity  against  you;  that  the  thoughts  that  you  had 
been  holding  against  him  for  years  were  untrue  ?  You 
would  not  only  forgive  him,  but  you  would  be  glad  to 
call  him  your  friend — realizing  that  the  fault  had  been 
with  you — with  your  false  belief  about  your  neighbor. 
It  is  the  same  with  the  nations.  You — I — all  of  us 
would  freely  accept  such  proof  as  the  Duke  of  Lackland 
proposes  to  give,  and  thank  God  it  was  so." 

The  multitude  applauded  the  sentiment. 

"The  people  of  Guelph,"  said  a  third  orator.  '*are 
not  different  from  the  people  of  other  nations.  They 
have  kept  pace  with  us  in  progress.  Some  may  have 
outstripped  us.  The  desire  for  peace  is  just  as  strong 
with  the  other  people  of  the  globe  as  with  us.  They 
only  desire  war  because  they  believe  we  have  wilfully 
shown  a  war-like  spirit.  I  know  not  who  is  respon- 
sible for  this  terrible  deed.  I  care  not.  But  I  do  know 
it  is  not  the  people  of  Guelph.  If  it  is  our  ministers, 
if  it  is  our  parliament,  yea,  even  though  it  be  our 
king,  let  us  have  a  change." 

Again  the  words  of  the  speaker  found  an  answering 
response  in  the  hearts  of  the  people. 

At  a  still  larger  popular  demonstration  the  sentiment 
had  been  expressed  that  to  counsel  war  was  not  only 
disobedience  to  the  command  of  Christ  Jesus  that  men 
should  love  each  other,  but  a  crime  against  both  human 
law  and  the  law  of  God. 

"Thou  shalt  not  kill,"  the  speaker  declared,  "has 


THE  CONSCIENCE  OF  THE  KING      369 

been  lifted  out  of  the  statute  book  of  God,  the  Bible, 
and  spread  upon  the  statute  books  of  every  civilized 
nation.  No  law  from  most  ancient  days  has  been  more 
rigidly  enforced.  A  king  who  counsels  war  should  be 
punished  under  the  law.  Furthermore,"  he  continued 
impressively,  "Jesus  taught  plainly  that  it  was  not  so 
much  the  deed  as  the  thought  back  of  the  deed,  that 
constituted  the  sin.  Do  we  as  Christian  men,  even 
dare  to  think  murderous  thoughts  against  our  fellow- 
men?  No!  Let  us  all  express  the  one  mind,  that 
mind  which  was  also  in  Jesus  Christ.  Let  us  go  to  our 
neighbors  across  the  sea  with  love  in  our  hearts,  and 
by  putting  aside  the  panoply  of  war  say  to  them  as  did 
Abram  to  Lot :  'Let  there  be  no  strife,  I  pray  thee,  be- 
tween me  and  thee for  we  be  brethren' — children  of 

the  one  Father;  brothers  in  Christ;  and  we  shall  find  that 
they,  too,  have  been  learning  the  omnipotence  and  omni- 
presence of  God,  divine  Love.  They  will  take  our 
hands  and  we  will  dwell  together  in  true  brotherhood." 

In  all  the  public  meetings  and  in  the  popular  thought 
such  sentiments  as  these  were  paramount.  To  John, 
as  he  passed  about  from  place  to  place,  these  utterances 
came  as  the  voice  of  Truth.  At  times  he  was  urged 
to  address  the  people,  but  he  invariably  declined. 

"It  is  not  for  an  alien  to  interfere,"  he  said.  "It  is 
a  problem  for  the  people  of  Guelph  to  work  out.  It  is 
for  them  to  decide.  When  they  do  decide  it  shall  be 
my  work  to  assist  in  putting  their  position  before  the 
people  of  the  world — before  the  court  of  national 
conscience, " 

Lucy,  at  home  in  her  closet,  gave  herself  up  to  fast- 
ing and  prayer;  that  fasting  of  which  Hennas  wrote: 


370  THE  PEACEIVIAKERS 

*'But  this  is  the  true  fast:  Do  nothing  wickedly  in  thy 
life,  but  serve  God  with  a  pure  mind." 

As  for  Lady  Judith,  she  was  torn  with  conflicting 
emotions.  She  felt  certain  that  war  must  result  in  ruin, 
because  she  was  convinced  in  her  mind  that  their  cause 
was  not  righteous.  She  believed  implicitly  Lady  Beck- 
worth's  confession  and  attributed  the  condition  of 
affairs  solely  to  hatred.  She  believed  that  a  statement 
of  the  real  conditions  would  influence  parliament  to  do 
the  right  thing;  but  there  was  the  king's  command.  All 
the  day  following  the  scene  with  the  king  she  had  re- 
mained in  her  room,  working  and  praying  as  best  she 
knew  that  right  would  prevail  to  save  her  country. 

While  parliament  wrangled  over  the  appropriation 
bill,  or  the  war  budget  as  it  had  already  come  to  be 
called,  the  king  and  several  of  his  confidential  advisers 
retired  to  the  cabinet  room  to  discuss  the  situation  and 
await  the  arrival  of  Benton.  They  had  not  learned 
just  when  he  would  arrive,  but  felt  sure  that  it  would 
not  be  long. 

"  I  fear  that  parliament  will  not  give  us  what  we  ask  ?'* 
said  Sir  William  Moreland.  "The  members  fear  the 
people — that  is,  they  fear  public  sentiment." 

"  Benton  will  get  it  out  of  them,"  said  the  king.  "He 
is  a  politician." 

"He  may  succeed  in  passing  the  budget,"  said  Lord 
Aukland,  "but  it  will  be  another  thing  to  raise  the 
money.  When  the  public  mind  is  aroused  as  it  is  at 
present,  increased  taxation  is  received  with  bad  grace. 
I  fear  the  result." 

"But  there  is  no  alternative,"  said  Albert. 

"The  people  do  not  think  so.  Your  Majesty.     They 


THE  CONSCIENCE  OF  THE  KING      371 

are    inflamed   by    the   absurd  idea  of  disarmament." 

"I  will  abdicate  before  I  will  agree  to  such  an  insane 
proposal,"  said  the  king  angrily. 

"If  the  army  should  side  with  the  people,"  said 
General  Lord  Dudley,  "you  might  have  to." 

The  king  started.  "You  do  not  think  there  is  any 
danger  of  such  an  event  ?" 

Lord  Dudley  shook  his  head.  "You  never  can  tell. 
Your  Majesty.  There  is  a  strong  sentiment  that  our 
cause  is  not  just,  and  no  man  can  fight  well  who  has 
that  thought  back  of  him." 

The  king's  face  paled.  Was  it  possible  his  secret 
was  known.     Aloud  he  said: 

"You  must  convince  them  that  they  are  wrong.  My 
Lord." 

While  they  were  speaking  there  was  an  uproar  with- 
out. The  crowd  had  again  been  set  in  motion  by  the 
news  that  Benton's  yacht  had  landed  at  Vreelong  and 
that  the  ex-premier  was  on  his  way  to  Elmborn  on  a 
special  train.  None  doubted  that  he  was  coming  to 
form  a  new  ministry;  and  no  sooner  had  the  announce- 
ment of  his  coming  been  made  than  the  crowds  with 
one  accord  surged  in  the  direction  of  the  great  railway 
station  at  which  he  must  arrive. 

It  is  only  thirty  miles  from  Vreelong  to  Elmborn  and 
it  was  not  more  than  thirty  minutes  from  the  time  of 
the  announcement  of  Benton's  landing  until  the  man 
on  whom  the  eyes  of  the  nation  are  now  fixed,  alighted 
from  his  car.  Always  popular  with  the  people,  not 
only  because  he  was  a  commoner,  but  because  of  his 
personality,  he  was  greeted  with  cheers. 

^'Hurrah  for  Benton!     Long  live  the  premier!"  they 


372  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

shouted  as  they  caught  sight  of  him  on  the  platform  of 
the  car  in  company  with  the  sweet-faced,  gray-haired 
woman,  whom  no  one  recognized. 

It  was  not  the  kind  of  a  reception  Benton  had  looked 
for.  He  had  rather  expected  to  be  met  by  a  file  of 
soldiers. 

"What  does  it  all  mean  ?"  he  asked  with  a  bewildered 
look  at  Dorothy,  as  though  he  expected  her  to  answer. 

She  shook  her  head.  "I  can  only  say  in  the  words 
of  one  much  wiser  than  I:  'Man's  extremity  is  God's 
opportunity.'  " 

They  descended  to  the  platform  and  passed  into  the 
station  where  they  were  met  by  messengers  from  the 
king. 

"His  majesty  is  awaiting  you,"  they  said.  "But  in 
the  face  of  this  grave  danger  and  the  unrest  of  the  public 
mind,  he  asks  that  you  will  speak  to  the  people;  ask 
them  to  be  calm  and  assure  them  that  there  is  no  cause 
for  alarm." 

"Will  they  permit  it.?"  asked  Benton,  totally  mis- 
taking the  purport  of  the  message. 

"There  is  your  answer,"  declared  the  courier  as  cries 
of;  "Benton!  Benton!"  came  from  the  crowd.  "Here 
are  the  representatives  of  the  press.  Your  words  shall 
be  faithfully  quoted.     You  need  have  no  fear." 

Benton  exchanged  a  smile  with  Dorothy.  "I  am 
not  afraid,"  he  replied.  "I  am  here  if  necessary  to 
give  my  life  for  Guelph.  Let  us  start  for  the  palace. 
If  the  occasion  demands  I  will  speak." 

The  automobile  emerged  from  the  entrance  and 
started  down  the  broad  avenue  which  led  directly  to 
the  rear  of  the  palace.     Broad  as  it  was,  their  progress 


THE  CONSCIENCE  OF  THE  KING      373 

was  continually  impeded  by  the  crowd.  They  had  not 
proceeded  more  than  four  blocks  when  they  were  com- 
pletely blockaded  and  cries  of:  "Speech!  Speech! 
Is  it  war  or  peace  ?"  arose  on  all  sides. 

Benton  arose  from  his  seat  and  after  a  silent  prayer 
that  he  might  voice  only  the  truth,  he  exclaimed : 

"It  is  with  an  earnest  desire  to  right  a  great  wrong 
that  I  have  returned  to  Guelph.  A  great  wrong,  yes, 
a  crime  has  been  committed." 

"Yes!  Yes,"  shouted  the  crowd. 

"I  only  learned  when  I  reached  Vreelong  that  the 
present  ministry  had  fallen.  I  had  hoped  to  have 
arrived  in  time  to  prevent  it,  for  the  Duke  of  Lackland 
is  a  noble  man  whose  hands  are  utterly  free  from  any 
stain  of  guilt  or  any  knowledge  of  this  great  crime.  Al- 
though for  years  his  most  bitter  opponent — yes,  his 
most  bitter  enemy  if  I  must  say  it,  I  am  so  no  longer,  and 
I  feel  it  a  privilege  and  a  duty  to  clear  him  from  any 
charges  that  may  have    been  made." 

Loud  cheers  greeted  his  words  and  he  was  obliged  to 
wait  several  minutes  for  the  demonstration  to  cease. 
During  the  shouts  he  looked  out  over  the  crowd  and 
there,  on  the  outskirts,  seated  in  a  touring  car,  he  caught 
sight  of  Lady  Judith,  who  with  John  Winslow  had  been 
attracted  thither  by  the  news  of  his  arrival.  John  had 
at  once  espied  Dorothy,  and  even  as  Benton  continued 
his  speech  he  perceived  that  they  were  making  strenu- 
ous efforts  to  approach.  Benton's  face  paled,  but  as 
the  shouts  ceased  he  continued: 

"I  am  now  on  my  way  to  the  palace  to  urge  that  the 
duke  be  reinstated.  We  must  have  peace.  There  is  no 
need  of  war    It  would  mean  the  destruction  of  Guelph. 


374  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

Punishment  must  fall  upon  the  guilty  man  alone! — " 

His  voice  was  drowned  by  shouts  of  :  "Yes!  Yes! 
Three  cheers  for  Benton!  Long  live  the  Duke  of 
Lackland!" 

Several  at  this  moment  espied  Lady  Judith. 

"Three  cheers  for  the  duke's  daughter!"  shouted 
a  dozen  voices,  which  was  answered  by  cries  of  :"Long 
live  Lady  Judith!"  as  the  crowd  recognized  the  young 
marchioness. 

Appreciating  the  value  of  timely  action  in  aiding  her 
father,  Lady  Judith  arose  and  acknowledged  the  com- 
pliment with  a  bow,  when  suddenly  from  out  the  crowd 
came  a  shrill  voice, — doubtless  that  of  some  street 
gamin — whose  very  shrillness  made  it  conspicuous 

"Three  cheers  for  the  next  queen!"  it  cried.  "Long 
live  Queen  Judith!" 

It  was  the  voicing  of  a  thought  that  had  been  active 
in  the  minds  of  all  ever  since  the  great  disaster — either 
because  of  sympathy  over  the  fact  that  she  might  never 
be  queen,  or  as  a  wish  that  she  might  speedily  reign. 
Whose  voice  it  was  that  uttered  the  cry  will  probably 
never  be  known;  but  it  struck  an  answering  chord  in 
the  hearts  of  the  people. 

Here  was  the  one  who  could  lead  them  out  of  the 
wilderness  of  discord  and  inharmony,  war  and  blood- 
shed into  the  promised  land  of  peace.  They  all  seemed 
to  realize  it.  They  knew  her  well.  They  knew  she 
had  ever  been  her  father's  adviser.  They  knew  through 
the  newspapers,  and  through  those  channels  which 
always  seem  open  to  the  spread  of  a  sovereign's  senti- 
ment, that  she,  like  themselves,  was  for  making  the 
great  sacrifice.     Thus  it  was,  that  echoing  the  shrill 


THE  CONSCIENCE  OF  THE  KING      375 

cry,  there  went  up  a  great  shout:  "Long  live  Queen 
Judith!  Long  Hve  peace!"  which  was  repeated  time 
and  time  again. 

For  several  moments  after  the  first  wild  outburst, 
the  real  meaning  of  the  demonstration  did  not  dawn 
upon  Lady  Judith.  But  as  the  shouts  continued  and 
she  began  to  understand  their  import,  she  was  seized 
with  a  terror  of  apprehension. 

"No!  No!"  she  cried.  "It  is  treason!  It  is  worse 
than  treason!     It  is  madness." 

But  the  populace  paid  no  heed  to  her  cries.  They 
did  not  know  even  what  she  was  saying.  It  seemed  to 
the  masses  the  one  solution  of  the  national  problem; 
and  without  asking  how  such  a  change  could  possibly 
be  accomplished  they  refused  to  be  silenced. 

Turning  to  John  Lady  Judith  exclaimed:  "Get  me 
away  from  here!  Take  me  home!"  and  she  sank  back 
into  the  car. 

The  chauffeur  attempted  to  start  the  machine,  but  it 
was  impossible.  Seeing  what  he  was  attempting  to  do, 
the  crowd,  as  by  a  common  impulse,  cleared  the  path 
and  seizing  the  huge  car  pushed  it  toward  the  palace. 
Benton,  parliament,  everything  was  forgotten  in  the 
wild  excitement. 

Realizing  that  there  was  but  one  to  whom  they  would 
listen,  John  turned  to  Lady  Judith. 

"You  must  speak  to  them!"  he  said.  "Yours  is  now 
the  only  voice  that  will  calm  them.  'Who  knows  but 
thou  art  come  into  the  kingdom  for  such  a  time  as  this.'" 

Perceiving  the  wisdom  of  John's  words,  Lady  Judith 
fortified  herself  for  the  ordeal.  She  suddenly  arose  in 
the  car  and  raised  her  hand. 


376  THE  PEACEISIAKERS 

There  was  a  wild  cheer  and  in  a  moment  every  head 
was  bared. 

"Men  of  Guelph!"  she  cried,  and  her  young  voice 
carried  full  and  clear.  "  If  this  be  your  will  I  will  obey. 
But  there  must  be  no  disorder.     No  violence." 

"Long  live  Queen  Judith!"  shouted  the  crowd. 

"Permit  me  to  return  home.  Send  a  deputation  to 
parliament  and  let  it  confer  with  the  king.  If  the  peace 
of  the  nation  demands  it,  they  may  hearken  to  your 
words." 

"They  must  hear!  Long  live  Queen  Judith!" 
shouted  the  people. 

"We  shall  see;  but  now  take  me  home." 

Another  wild  cheer  rent  the  air  and  was  taken  up  by 
thousands  who  could  not  even  hear  her  voice. 

"Make  way  for  the  queen!"  .shouted  those  immedi- 
ately surrounding  the  car.     "  Make  way  for  the  queen !" 

Shouting  and  cheering  they  pushed  the  machine 
rapidly  along  until  Oxley  House  was  reached.  As 
Judith  alighted  the  crowd  separated,  and  with  uncov- 
ered heads  opened  a  passage  for  her  and  John  up  to 
the  broad  steps.  Then  as  she  entered  the  door  they 
turned  and  with  a  great  shout:  "Long  live  Queen 
Judith!"  started  for  the  parliament  house  increasing 
in  numbers  as  they  ran. 

By  this  time  the  tumult  had  become  an  uproar.  The 
cry  was  heard  by  those  in  the  adjoining  squares.  By 
them  it  was  picked  up  and  carried  to  the  next  and  so  on 
to  the  next  until  it  was  on  every  tongue.  It  sounded 
out  over  the  great  plaza  in  front  of  the  palace  It 
forced  its  w^ay  up  the  stairs  and  into  the  halls  of  parlia- 
ment.    It  penetrated   the   apartment  where  the   king 


THE  CONSCIENCE  OF  THE  KING      377 

sat  dazed  and  stunned  at  the  rapid  change  of  events. 

It  was  the  voice  of  the  people.  It  was  the  voice  of 
God  making  itself  heard  as  in  the  thunderings  of  Sinai. 
There  was  no  mistaking  its  meaning.  Turning  to  his 
councilors,  the  king  said: 

"My  Lords,  do  you  hear?" 

No  answer  was  needed. 

"It  is  a  revolution!"  he  cried.  "It  means  the  down- 
fall of  the  kingdom." 

Sir  William's  active  mind  was  the  first  to  grasp  the 
situation. 

"Your  Majesty,"  he  said,  "it  may  mean  the  salvation 
of  Guelph.  It  may  be  we  who  have  been  blind  and 
deaf.  Give  the  people  a  chance  and  they  may  save 
themselves." 

"It  is  madness!"  declared  Albert.  "Lord  Dudley, 
order  the  troops  to  disperse  the  crowd." 

Lord  Dudley  hurriedly  left  the  room.  He  was  not 
absent  more  than  a  couple  of  minutes.  When  he 
returned  his  face  was  ashen. 

"Your  Majesty,"  he  exclaimed,  "it  is  too  late!  The 
soldiers  have  become  civilians  and  have  joined  the 
people  in  the  clamor  for  peace." 

*         *         * 

Twelve  eventful  hours  have  passed. 

The  tumult  has  subsided.  The  mental  convulsion 
manifested  in  the  excitement  of  the  past  two  days 
has  ceased.  The  neutralizing  effect  of  Truth  and 
Love,  reflected  in  the  hearts  of  men,  has  restored  quiet 
and  harmony. 

Out  of  the  agitation  of  these  hours,  which  culminated 


378  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

in  the  great  popular  outburst  of  the  evening,  has 
resulted  untold  good.  The  people  of  Guelph  are 
again  united.  The  evil  expressed  in  the  passion 
and  self  will  of  King  Albert  has  been  uncovered  and 
destroyed  and  Queen  Judith  reigns  in  his  stead. 

Almost  in  a  single  day  a  nation  has  been  born  again 
— born  of  the  spirit  of  peace. 

The  record  of  the  event  is  short,  for  the  healing  of 
the  discordant  condition  was  speedy.  To  understand, 
it  is  only  necessary  to  look  back  over  one  short  week 
since  the  ships  of  the  visiting  fleets  were  destroyed. 

As  narrated,  the  news  of  the  disaster  set  the  world 
aflame  with  anger  and  condemnation.  This  condition 
of  thought  aroused  in  minds  ready  to  receive  it  and 
aggravated  by  the  subtlety  of  Benton's  suggestion, 
brought  an  almost  immediate  declaration  of  war  from 
the  republic  of  Luzon.  But  already  the  forces  of 
good  were  at  work  with  the  result  that  the  evil  was 
speedily  restrained. 

Upon  the  withdrawal  of  this  malign  influence,  there 
had  been  a  temporary  cessation  of  the  warlike  activities 
against  Guelph  by  those  nations  which  had  not  yet 
committed  themselves  to  an  actual  declaration  of  war, 
pending  the  result  of  the  investigating  commission. 
When  the  commission  had  made  its  unfavorable  report 
the  warlike  preparations  were  resumed,  but  with 
nothing  like  the  activity  or  hostility  that  had  precipi- 
tated the  action  of  Luzonia.  There  was  even  a  strong 
sentiment  in  favor  of  accepting  Guelph's  denial  of 
responsibility,  and  imposing  upon  her  only  a  reasonable 
indemnity. 

But  here  the  so-called  law  of  avarice  made  itself  felt, 


THE  CONSCIENCE  OF  THE  KING      379 

through  certain  of  the  great  nations.  The  claims  of 
heredity,  hatred  and  jealousy  which  had  caused  these 
nations  to  dwell  in  enmity  for  centuries,  again  mani- 
fested themselves,  and  the  spirit  of  hostility  became 
more  active  and  pronounced  than  ever.  Never  was 
there  a  better  illustration  of  the  seeming  power  of 
malicious  human  thought,  and  when  it  developed  that 
there  was  a  division  of  sentiment  among  the  people  of 
Guelph,  all  the  force  of  this  same  seeming  power  was 
directed  to  widening  the  breach  and  destroying  the 
nation. 

But  that  there  is  no  power  apart  from  God,  infinite 
good,  was  speedily  proven.  The  same  right  thinking 
which  had  so  often  brought  health  out  of  sickness  and 
concord  out  of  discord,  so  directed  this  power  of  good 
that  national  harmony  was  speedily  restored.  The 
greatness  and  righteousness  of  the  work,  and  the 
understanding  and  method  employed,  can  be  judged 
only  by  the  demonstration  made  :  namely  the  peace- 
ful solution  of  the  great  national  problem. 

That  the  national  and  international  problems  were 
closely  interwoven  was  then  speedily  evidenced.  Even 
while  the  voice  of  the  people  crying  :  "Long  live  Queen 
Judith!"  was  echoing  in  Albert's  ears,  he  received  from 
England  the  following  dispatch. 

You  can  expect  no  support  from  us.      You  have  placed  yourself 
beyond  the  pale. 

Henry,  Rex. 

It  was  the  withdrawal  of  the  one  staff  upon  which 
he  had  been  leaning.     He  had  felt  sure  that  in  the  end 


380  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

he  would  gain,  not  only  England's  moral,  but  its 
military  support  as  well.  It  was  the  last  blow  to  his 
hope  of  inducing  the  people  to  proceed  in  their  prep- 
arations for  war.  He  felt  that  he  must  yield  to  the 
popular  demand;  but  so  strong  was  his  determination 
never  to  yield  as  long  as  he  was  king,  that  when  a 
deputation  from  the  people  and  parliament  waited 
upon  him  in  the  throne  room,  some  hours  later,  it 
found  him  still  unwilling  to  give  the  order  to  disarm, 
but  willing,  yes,  almost  anxious,  to  abdicate. 

"I  have  no  desire  to  remain  a  toy  king  upon  a  puppet 
throne,"  he  declared  sarcastically.  "Nor  to  be  known 
as  the  reigning  coward  of  a  craven  people — for  craven 
must  be  a  people  who  refuse  to  fight  for  their  honor, 
yes,  their  very  existence." 

The  leader  of  the  deputation  was  Sir  AUin  Strong. 
He  had  come  in  from  Somerton  with  Lady  Strong  and 
other  members  of  his  family  as  soon  as  he  had  received 
word  of  Tom's  release.  After  a  great  mass  meeting 
and  a  conference  of  the  leaders,  a  joint  deputation 
from  the  people  and  parliament  had  been  agreed  upon. 
Because  of  his  well  known  friendship  for  the  duke  and 
Lady  Judith,  Sir  Allin's  name  had  been  mentioned 
as  its  leader  and  the  suggestion  met  with  enthusiastic 
approval.  So  it  was  that  when  Albert  had  called  his 
people  craven,  it  was  Sir  Allin  who  had  been  the  one 
to  say  in  Paul's  words  to  the  Corinthians: 

"  'Though  we  walk  in  the  flesh,'  Your  Majesty,  *we 
do  not  war  after  the  flesh;  for  the  weapons  of  our 
warfare  are  not  carnal,  but  mighty  through  God  to 
the  pulling  down  of  strongholds — casting  down  imagi- 
nations and  every  high  thing  that  exalteth  itself  against 


THE  CONSCIENCE  OF  THE  KING      381 

the  knowledge  of    God,  and    bringing    into   captivity 
every  thought  to  the  obedience  of  Christ.' 

"The  great  strongholds  to  be  pulled  down  are  the 
thoughts  of  jealousy,  envy,  distrust  and  revenge  that 
fill  the  minds  of  our  neighbor  nations  and  the  world 
at  large.  We  would  see  every  thought  of  this  kind 
brought  into  captivity  to  the  obedience  of  Christ, 
Truth.  In  this  hour  we — the  people  of  Guelph — feel 
that  human  strength  and  wisdom  cannot  avail  and  that 
the  only  power  that  can  tear  down  these  strongholds, 
capture  the  hearts  of  our  seeming  enemies  and  save 
Guelph,  is  the  protecting  power  of  omnipotent,  divine 
Love. 

'Whatsoever  ye  would  that  men  should  do  unto 
you,  do  ye  also  unto  them,'  said  the  great  Master 
metaphysician,  and  he  knew,  as  do  thousands,  yes, 
millions  in  the  world  today,  that  thoughts  of  love 
rightly  directed,  will  find  a  ready  response  in  the  minds 
of  our  fellow  men.  We  feel,  Your  Majesty — yes,  we 
know,  that  if  we  give  proof  of  our  sincerity,  we  shall 
be  believed  and  our  nation  preserved." 

"And  what  proof  of  our  sincerity  must  we  give,  that 
we  have  not  already  given  ?"  asked  Albert. 

"What  are  termed  fatal  diseases,  Your  Majesty, 
require  strong  medicines.  The  proof  must  be  ade- 
quate to  destroy  the  belief.  We,  the  people,  think 
that  nothing  but  complete  disarmament  will  now  con- 
vince the  world  of  our  sincerity.  We  ask  you  to  issue 
the  order." 

"Never!  Never!"  exclaimed  the  king  starting  to  his 
feet  with  the  greatest  vehemence.  "Never  will  I  be 
a  party  to  such  a  cowardly  act." 


382  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"Your  Majesty,"  said  Sir  AUin  reverently,  "was  it  a 
cowardly  act  for  Christ  Jesus  to  say  to  his  warlike 
disciple:  'Put  up  thy  sword?'  " 

Albert  made  no  reply  and  Sir  Allin  continued: 

"For  nearly  two  thousand  years,  through  the  teach- 
ings of  Christ  Jesus,  the  world  has  been  undergoing 
pacification.  Within  the  past  one  hundred  years  the 
Christianity  of  Jesus  has  been  scientifically  applied  in 
teaching  people  to  think  truth  instead  of  error,  love 
instead  of  hate,  peace  instead  of  war.  I  believe  that 
it  has  been  so  far  successful,  that  it  can  now  be  proven 
that  a  majority  in  the  world  is  thinking  peace  instead 
of  war,  and  will  so  declare  if  they  have  the  opportun- 
ity. We  ask  the  chance  to  prove  it  by  applying  the 
Golden  Rule." 

For  several  moments  there  was  silence — a  period  of 
breathless  suspense.  The  king's  face  became  white 
and  great  drops  of  sweat  rolled  down  his  forehead  as 
he  stood  with  downcast  eyes.  Then  with  an  air  of 
determination  he  raised  his  head. 

"It  seems  our  only  salvation,"  he  said.  "But,"  he 
added  with  a  touch  of  great  sadness,  "I  am  not  the  one 
to  help  you  make  the  demonstration.  It  is  for  one 
who  sees  and  thinks  as  you  do.  I  know  what  is  in 
your  minds.  I  am  willing  to  help  you  this  much.  I 
am  willing  to  abdicate  in  favor  of  my  well-beloved 
niece,  Judith,  Marchioness  of  Oxley." 

For  a  space  there  was  silence.  As  with  one  accord 
every  knee  was  bent — bent  to  the  greatness  of  the 
deed.  It  was  the  last  act  of  homage  to  a  fallen  sov- 
ereign. 

Even  while  the  assemblage  thus  knelt,  Albert  de- 


THE  CONSCIENCE  OF  THE  KING      383 

scended  from  the  throne.  Slowly  he  lifted  the  crown 
from  his  head  and  set  it  upon  the  golden  footstool. 
Then  turning  to  the  kneeling  people  he  cried  out  in  a 
voice  trembling  with  emotion: 

"The  king  is  dead!     Long  live  the  queen!" 


CHAPTER  XX 

HE   THAT  KEEPETH    ISRAEL 

No  noisy  demonstration  or  unnecessary  display 
marked  the  coronation  of  Judith,  Queen  of  Guelph. 
In  keeping  with  the  gravity  of  the  situation  and  the 
conditions  confronting  the  realm,  she  assumed  the 
reins  of  government  immediately,  with  only  the  simplest 
ceremonies.  As  soon  as  they  were  over  she  returned 
to  Oxley  House  and  retired  at  once  to  the  privacy  of 
her  apartments.  Putting  out  all  the  attendants  and 
leaving  only  her  maid-in-waiting  in  the  antechamber, 
she  had  given  herself  up  to  a  season  of  communion 
with  God — the  one  Mind,  upon  whom  she  was  depend- 
ing for  wisdom  to  direct  the  affairs  of  state. 

For  more  than  an  hour  the  young  queen  devoted 
herself  to  the  prayerful  consideration  of  the  great 
problems  before  her,  while  realizing  that  divine 
Principle  was  leading  her  in  the  way  of  righteous- 
ness and  trut'...  Having  at  last  reached  a  place  where 
she  could  say  with  the  prophet  of  Israel:  "Thou  wilt 
keep  him  in  perfect  peace  whose  mind  is  stayed  on 
Thee;  because  he  trusteth  in  Thee,"  she  was  about 
to  announce  her  readiness  to  meet  her  father,  when 
there  was  a  timid  knock  at  the  door.  In  response  to 
Judith's  summons  the  maid  stepped  quickly  inside. 

"The  little  old  gentlemen,"  she  said.  "He  asks  if 
384 


HE  THAT  KEEPETH  ISRAEL  385 

you  will  see  him.  He  says  he  has  something  you  must 
know,  and  you  alone." 

"You  mean  the  old  German?"  asked  Judith. 

"Yes,  Your  Majesty." 

"Bring  him  in." 

The  maid  turned  to  obey,  but  before  the  door  was 
fairly  opened  Herman  slipped  quickly  in  and  humbly 
approached  the  queen.  It  was  her  first  official  audi- 
ence, but  it  did  not  appeal  to  her  as  such.  She  only 
saw  before  her  one  in  seeming  distress,  and  her  heart 
went  out  to  him  in  sympathy.  She  forgot  her  exalted 
position,  and  when  Herman  threw  himself  at  her  feet, 
she  gently  lifted  him  up. 

"You  wished  to  tell  me  something.?"  she  said. 
"Whatever  it  is  do  not  be  afraid.  Fear  has  no  place 
in  God's  kingdom  and  it  shall  have  none  in  mine." 

He  looked  at  her  with  an  expression  of  surprise. 

"You  haf  no  fear?"  he  asked. 

"None." 

"You  haf  no  fear  what  they  will  do  because  we  haf 
blown  up  their  ships  ?" 

For  a  moment  Judith  hesitated,  searching  her  own 
thought  in  the  light  of  divine  Truth;  then  she  answered 
firmly: 

"None." 

The  old  man  glanced  hastily  around  the  room,  and 
coming  quite  close  to  her  said  in  a  whisper;  "You  haf 
discovered  the  secret?" 

"Yes,"  replied  Judith  earnestly.  "But  it  is  no 
longer  a  secret.  It  is  this:  'Evil  has  no  power.'  That 
is  why  1  have  no  fear." 

The  old  man  laughed  softly:  "You  are  light  to  haf 


386  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

no  fear.  None  of  them  can  fight  us.  We  can  destroy 
their  ships  as  soon  as  they  enter  the  bay."  Then 
impressively;  "I  haf  remembered." 

An  exclamation  of  astonishment  escaped  the  queen 
as  she  saw  in  the  old  man's  face  a  look  which  indi- 
cated that  however  much  he  might  be  affected  on  other 
subjects,  he  was  clear  on  this. 

For  just  a  moment  Judith  listened  to  the  voice  of 
the  tempter  as  she  said:  "You  have  remembered  how 
you  sank  the  ships,  and  you  could  do  it  again  ?" 

Herman's  eyes  brightened:  "Yes.  Put  my  labora- 
tory at  the  mouth  of  the  bay  and  no  ship  shall  enter 
it  unless  I  say  so." 

Judith  lifted  her  eyes.  "Not  my  will  but  thine  be 
done,"  she  prayed.  "Let  Life,  Truth  and  Love  be 
expressed  by  me,  not  hatred,  evil  and  destruction." 

Then  to  Herman:  "We  shall  not  need  your  help. 
The  omnipotent  power  of  omnipresent  Love  is  able 
to  protect  us.  Even  your  death-dealing  waves  of 
electricity  must  fall  harmless  before  the  infinite  power 
of  Spirit.     You  mean  well,  but  you  are  wrong." 

The  old  man's  face  took  on  a  startled  and  puzzled 
look.     "And  you  do  not  need  me?"  he  asked. 

"Not  now.  When  you  have  learned  all  that  Mrs. 
Win  slow  is  trying  to  teach  you;  when  you  have  learned 
that  good  alone  is  power,  you  will  understand." 

Tears  came  to  the  old  man's  eyes  and  coursed  down 
his  cheeks.  "I  am  sorry  you  do  not  need  me,"  he 
said  softly.  "I  wished  to  become  a  great  nobleman; 
but  you  know  best." 

"And  so  you  shall,"  declared  Judith  laying  her 
hand  tenderly  on  his  shoulder,  **for  man  in  the  divine 


HE  THAT  KEEPETH  ISRAEL  387 

image   is    the    noblest    work    of    God.     Good    bye." 

"Goodbye.  Goodbye.  Yes,  you  know  best,"  and 
slowly  the  old  man  left  the  room. 

A  tear  glistened  on  Judith's  lashes  as  she  turned 
back  into  the  apartment  and  sununoned  her  gentle- 
men in  waiting. 

"Today,"  she  announced,  "I  shall  hold  all  necessary 
audiences  here.  Inform  the  duke  that  I  will  see  him 
at  once,  and  summon  the  other  ministers  to  meet  me 
in  an  hour." 

It  was  but  a  few  moments  later  that  the  duke  entered 
and  gravely  saluted  his  daughter.  She  held  out  her 
arms  impulsively. 

"For  today  at  least,  father,  there  shall  be  no  formal- 
ity between  us.  You  will  continue  as  prime  minister, 
will  you  not  ?" 

"For  the  present,  yes.  But  you  must  remember  the 
action  of  parliament — the  failure  to  pass  the  vote  of 
confidence." 

"But,  father,  to  whom  else  can  I  turn?  I  have 
confidence  in  you." 

"You  forget  Mr.  Benton." 

"Father!" 

"Remember  what  he  has  already  done.  It  is  largely 
to  him  that  you  owe  your  crown." 

"And  it  is  to  him  that  Guelph  owes  her  terrible 
plight." 

*'And  still,  my  child,  he  may  be  the  man  in  this 
emergency.  Think  it  over  carefully.  I  will  meet  you 
with  the  others  within  the  hour." 

For  several  minutes  after  her  father  had  withdrawn 
Judith  sat  in  deep  study.     Then  recovering  herself. 


388  THE  PEACEIVIAKERS 

she  said  as  to  her  own  thoughts:  "Whatever  really  is, 
is  right.     It  only  remains  to  be  revealed." 

Then  to  the  gentleman  in  waiting:  "Who  is  without  ?" 

"Sir  Allin  Strong  and  his  son." 

Judith's  heart  gave  a  little  bound.  "Admit  them," 
she  commanded. 

"I  felt  that  I  could  not  return  to  Somerton  without 
seeing  you,"  said  Sir  Allin  as  soon  as  the  greetings 
were  over.  "I  want  you  to  know  how  we  are  all 
working  to  realize  the  truth  which  must  bring  harmony 
out  of  this  seeming  chaos.  'He  shall  cover  thee  with 
His  feathers,  and  under  His  wings  shalt  thou  trust; 
His  truth  shall  be  thy  shield  and  buckler.  Thou  shalt 
not  be  afraid  of  the  terror  by  night,  nor  for  the  arrow 
that  flieth  by  noonday.'  " 

"I  have  no  fear,"  replied  the  young  queen  firmly. 
*'I  know  that  my  help  cometh  from  the  Lord,  which 
made  heaven  and  earth.  'He  that  keepeth  Israel  shall 
neither  slumber,  nor  sleep.'  " 

Sir  Allin  bowed  gravely  as  he  replied  with  a  verse 
from  the  121st  Psalm  "  'The  Lord  shall  preserve  thy 
going  out  and  thy  coming  in  from  this  time  forth,  and 
even  for  evermore.'  You  have  the  faith  that  cometh 
of  understanding,  and  it  is  for  you  now  to  so  direct 
the  thought  of  mankind  that  it  shall  prove  'what  is 
that  good,  and  acceptable,  and  perfect  will  of  God.' 
Surely  the  promises  shall  be  fulfilled.  The  time  is 
ripe." 

He  bowed  and  withdrew,  but  Tom  lingered  behind. 
For  a  brief  space  there  was  silence  and  then  in  sheer 
desperation  and  with  downcast  eyes  Tom  exclaimed: 
'Lady  Judith,  I — "    Then  he  stopped  not  knowing 


HE  THAT  KEEPETH  ISRAEL  389 

how  to  proceed  and  hoping  that  she  might  give  some 
suggestion.  But  she  did  nothing  of  the  kind.  Instead 
she  interrupted  with  a  voice  as  stern  as  she  could 
make  it: 

"Is  that  the  way,  sir,  to  address  your  queen?" 

He  quickly  raised  his  eyes  to  meet  hers  fixed  upon 
him;  but  in  their  depths,  instead  of  anger,  was  a  look 
he  could  not  fail  to  understand. 

"Well,"  she  exclaimed,  "why  don't  you  go  on?" 

"My  Queen,"  he  said  springing  forward,  his  tongue 
suddenly  loosened.  "Judith,  my  queen  in  all  that  the 
word  implies.  What  can  I  do  to  lighten  your  burden 
and  help  you  in  this  hour  of  trial  and  demonstration  ?" 

Judith's  heart  gave  a  great  bound.  Could  she  have 
chosen  the  words  she  would  have  had  him  speak,  she 
could  have  wished  none  better.  His  offer  to  help, 
made  in  a  spirit  there  was  no  mistaking,  was  to  her 
the  best  proof  he  had  yet  given  that  he  was  gaining  the 
victory  over  that  selfishness  which  had  been  his  greatest 
weakness.  When  she  answered,  it  was  with  a  look  in 
her  eyes  whose  meaning  no  man  could  have  mistaken. 

"Just  be  your  own  true  self,  Tom,"  she  replied. 
"Think  of  me  as  one  whose  future  is  not  her  own. 
Prove  that  you  really  love  me  by  not  making  my 
burden  heavier,  and  by  knowing  that  in  God's  good 
time  and  in  His  way  we  shall  find  our  happiness. 
You  know  my  heart  too  well  to  ask  that  I  say  more." 

"  More !"  exclaimed  Tom  earnestly.  "  More !  If  you 
had  said  but  one  tenth  part  of  what  you  have,  I  should 
be  the  happiest  man  in  Guelph.  But  I  do  want  to 
help  you  in  every  way.  I  want  to  help  with  my  good 
thoughts  and  I  want  to  help  by  doing  anything  that 


390  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

you  may  wish  done.  And  if  I  never  receive  any  other 
reward,  it  will  be  happiness  enough  to  know  that  you 
sometimes  think  of  me." 

"I  always  do  that,  Tom;  but  in  the  stirring  times 
which  must  speedily  come,  because  your  thought  has 
been  trained  in  the  way  of  right  thinking  and  bringing 
harmony  out  of  seeming  discord,  I  am  sure  I  shall  find 
in  you  one  of  the  strongest  supporters  of  my  reign. 
Now  go,  for  I  have  yet  many  duties  to  perform." 

She  extended  her  hand  which  he  raised  to  his  lips. 

"My  Queen,"  he  murmured  softly.  '"Judith,  my 
queen." 

She  regarded  him  tenderly  as  with  head  erect  and 
elastic  step  he  left  the  apartment. 

"Surely  Mrs.  Winslow  was  right,"  she  thought. 
"My  love  story  is  just  being  told." 

She  gave  a  joyous  little  laugh  and  ordered  the  next 
caller  admitted.     It  was  George  Benton. 

Judith  had  not  spoken  to  Benton  since  the  night 
of  the  embassy  ball — how  long  ago  it  seemed.  At  the 
moment  he  was  the  person  farthest  from  her  thought,  and 
at  his  unexpected  entrance  she  gave  a  perceptible  start. 
Despite  the  few  words,  she  had  heard  him  speak  to  the 
crowd  the  previous  afternoon — words  indicative  of  a 
desire  to  restore  peace  and  harmony  to  the  realm,  and 
despite  the  kind  words  her  father  had  spoken  in  his 
behalf,  she  could  not  for  the  moment  separate  him 
from  the  error  that  had  so  long  been  using  him.  Her 
reception  of  him  was,  therefore,  far  from  encouraging. 

Intent,  however,  upon  the  mission  he  had  under- 
taken, he  seemed  not  to  notice  her  coolness  and  when 
she  had   finally  given   him   permission   to   speak,   he 


HE  THAT  KEEPETH  ISRAEL  391 

plunged   at  once  into  the  very  heart  of  the  matter. 

"Your  Majesty,"  he  said,  "  I  have  returned  to  save 
Guelph  from  destruction,  although  no  one  better  than 
I  realizes  that  the  real  saving  power  is  infinitely  higher 
than  mine.  But  I  have  come  to  offer  myself  as  the 
instrument.  I  have  come  to  make  a  confession  which 
will  startle  the  world  and  turn  its  anger  from  this 
nation  to  the  guilty  mortal  who  stands  before  you,  I 
have  come  to  suffer  and  if  need  be  die,  that  Guelph 
may  live.  I  have  come  to  you  at  the  very  earliest 
possible  moment  I  could  reach  you  to  confess — " 

"Say  no  more,"  Judith  suddenly  interrupted,  "what 
you  are  about  to  say,  has  been  known  to  me  for  days. 
Your  confession  comes  too  late." 

So  rapidly  had  Benton  spoken  and  so  surprised  was 
Judith  that  anything  could  have  induced  him  to  make 
a  confession,  that  she  could  not  gather  her  thoughts 
sufficiently  to  interrupt  him  sooner,  and  so  it  was  that 
when  she  did  speak  her  words  were  most  abrupt. 

George  Benton  was  not  a  man  to  be  easily  turned 
from  a  purpose,  but  Judith's  words  spoken  with  such 
emphasis,  were  so  unexpected  that  for  the  moment 
he  stood  speechless.  Then,  as  he  regained  his  com- 
posure, he  slowly  and  questioningly  repeated  her 
words: 

"Too  late?  Too  late?  You  have  known  it  for 
days?     Impossible!" 

"Not  at  all,"  she  replied.  "The  information  you 
are  about  to  impart  came  days  ago  as  the  natural 
uncovering  of  error.  Furthermore;  it  was  less  than 
twenty  minutes  ago  that  the  very  person,  whose  mis- 
directed  knowledge  brought   the   immediate  disaster. 


392  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

was  standing  where  you  now  stand,  offering  at  my 
command  to  destroy  all  the  fleets  of  the  world,  if  they 
should  attempt  to  enter  our  harbor.  I  stopped  him 
just  as  I  have  stopped  you." 

Benton's  face  was  pale,  but  his  manner  was  resolute. 

"But  why  will  you  not  let  me  make  my  confession  ?" 
he  asked.  "Why  not  let  me  make  it  to  the  world? 
Surely  it  would  prevent  this  war." 

"Mr.  Benton,"  said  Judith  earnestly,  "with  the 
identical  proof  at  hand,  which  you  possess,  we  were 
unable  even  to  convince  the  king  of  its  truthfulness. 
How  much  less,  think  you,  should  we  be  able  to  con- 
vince the  world — which  does  not  wish  to  believe — of 
the  truth  of  your  statement?" 

Alive  as  he  was  to  the  perversity  of  the  human  mind, 
Benton  was  quick  to  grasp  the  import  of  her  words. 
He  realized  more  clearly  than  would  a  man  of  less 
acute  perception  the  wisdom  of  her  conclusions. 
Willing,  yes,  anxious  to  sacrifice  himself,  but  powerless 
to  bring  about  what  he  so  earnestly  desired,  he  stood 
crushed  and  helpless.  The  salvation  of  Guelph 
rested  upon  something  other  than  this  vicarious 
atonement. 

"The  king  must  have  known  that  it  was  the  truth," 
he  finally  said,  for  lack  of  some  better  utterance.  "I 
sent  such  a  message  the  day  I  refused  to  accept  the 
premiership." 

"The  day  you  refused,"  exclaimed  the  queen  in  the 
most  vmbounded  astonishment.  "Then  you  did  refuse  ?" 

Benton  looked  her  squarely  in  the  face.  "Can  you 
doubt  it?"  he  asked. 

"I  have  ceased  to  doubt  even  the  most  unexpected 


HE  THAT  KEEPETH  ISRAEL  393 

statements,"  she  declared  as  she  regarded  him  intently. 

What  had  come  over  the  man  ?  she  wondered.  What 
had  so  changed  him?  For  changed  he  certainly  was, 
and  she  began  to  regard  with  admiration  his  evident 
attempt  to  lay  aside  evil  for  good.  He  noted  the  look 
upon  her  face  and  after  a  moment  said : 

"Your  Majesty  may  well  wonder  at  my  words  and 
at  the  changed  condition  of  thought  which  prompts 
them.  I  wonder  at  them  myself.  I  even  wonder  at 
my  boldness  in  even  coming  into  your  presence.  But 
most  of  all  do  I  wonder  at  the  saving  power  of  divine 
Love,  which  has  rescued  me  from  the  pit  into  which  I 
had  fallen  and  is  leading  me  back  into  the  paths  of 
righteousness  and  rectitude. 

"Some  day,  however,  I  hope  to  understand  it. 
Some  day  I  hope  to  be  able  to  carry  the  message  of 
salvation  to  others.  Some  day  I  even  hope  to  practice 
the  healing  which  comes  with  the  understanding  of 
the  omnipotent  power  of  Truth.  Now  I  can  but 
express  my  humble  gratitude  to  God  for  his  goodness. 
Now  I  can  but  give  thanks  for  the  inspired  thought 
which  has  made  known  to  this  age  the  wonderful 
Principle  and  rule  of  the  Christ  healing.  Now  I 
can  only  strive  in  my  feeble  way  to  show  my  apprecia- 
tion of  the  loving  woman,  who  has  not  only  brought 
healing  to  my  physical  body,  but  has  since  been  lead- 
ing me  back  to  the  light — to  my  at-one-ment  with 
Spirit.     Your  Majesty  can  never  know  the  joy — " 

"But  I  do,"  suddenly  interrupted  the  young  queen 
impulsively.  "I,  too,  have  experienced  the  touch  of 
this  healing  Christ,  and  have  been  led  to  this  wonder- 
ful, practical  understanding  of  God." 


394  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

As  Judith  finished  speaking  Benton  sank  upon  his 
knee  before  her,  and  with  upturned  face  and  with  a 
voice  quivering  with  emotion  repeated : 

"For  Thine,  O  Lord,  is  the  greatness  and  the  power 
and  the  glory.  Feeble  in  Thy  sight  are  the  sacrifices 
of  men,  for  to  obey  is  better  than  sacrifice.  Foolish  in 
Thy  sight  such  wisdom  as  ours,  for  unto  Thee  is  all 
wisdom.  I  thank  Thee  that  Thou  hast  protected  and 
preserved  this  kingdom  unto  this  day." 

Then  as  he  arose  to  his  feet:  "Henceforth,  O  Queen, 
it  is  for  you  to  direct  and  for  others  to  obey.  In  so 
far  as  I  am  able,  it  shall  be  my  greatest  joy  to  uphold 
your  hands  in  the  hour  of  battle." 

For  the  moment  Judith  did  not  reply.  She  was 
thinking  of  the  duke's  suggestion.  Was  it  possible 
that  he  was  right  ?  Was  it  possible  that  the  man 
before  her  had  been  brought  through  the  fiery  crucible 
that  his  dross  might  be  consumed  and  his  gold  refined 
for  just  such  a  work  as  this?  She  felt  that  this  must 
be  so,  and  as  he  ceased  speaking,  said : 

"Mr.  Benton,  in  this  hour  of  national  peril,  when 
every  Christian  man,  woman  and  child  in  the  realm  is 
looking  to  God  for  help,  we  must  make  no  mistakes. 
We  must  call  into  the  service  of  the  state  every  right 
thought  and  every  man  capable  of  action  along  this 
line.  The  duke,  my  father,  has  suggested  that  you 
are  the  man  to  head  the  new  government.  I  now  ask 
you  if  you  will  accept  this  responsibility .''" 

He  listened  quietly  until  she  had  finished.  He  could 
plainly  see  whither  her  words  were  leading.  Immedi- 
ately a  great  conflict  began  within  his  consciousness; 
but  great  as  the  conflict  was,  he  gave  no  sign  of  the 


HE  THAT  KEEPETH  ISRAEL  395 

struggle,  nor  did  he  for  one  moment  think  of  pelding. 
The  lust  for  power,  which  for  years  had  been  the  devil, 
the  evil,  that  had  lured  him  on,  was  again  leading  him 
into  the  wilderness  of  temptation;  but  the  power  of 
this  evil  was  now  gone — destroyed  by  his  understanding 
of  its  nothingness.  Its  subtle  whispers  were  drowned 
by  the  voice  of  Truth  speaking  through  the  inspired 
word  of  the  Scriptures:  "Every  valley  shall  be  exalted 
and  every  mountain  and  hill  made  low."  In  George 
Benton's  consciousness  he  realized  "the  way  of  the 
Lord  made  straight."  The  valley  of  egotism  had 
been  exalted — spiritualized — and  the  mountains  of 
pride  and  the  hill  of  selfishness  had  been  made  low. 
And  so,  after  a  brief  silence,  he  replied: 

"I  am  not  unmindful,  nor  ungrateful  for  the  honor 
you  would  confer  upon  me,  but.  Your  Majesty,  I  am 
not  the  man.  God  will  surely  raise  up  one  to  fill  the 
place,  but  I  am  not  yet  strong  enough  in  my  new- 
found understanding.  I  have  not  yet  been  proved.  I 
must  first  go  out  into  the  highways  and  byways  and 
preach  the  gospel  to  the  poor  and  heal  the  sick. 

"The  greatest  honor  that  your  offer  confers  upon 
me  is  your  confidence;  and  I  thank  God  that  it  has 
been  regained.  My  homage,  my  counsel  and  my 
worldly  possessions — yes,  my  great  wealth  which  I 
can  scarcely  estimate — is  at  the  disposal  of  the  state 
and  Your  Majesty ;  but  let  me  work  in  an  humble  place 
until  I  have  been  purged  and  cleansed;  until  I  have 
been  sufficiently  engrounded  upon  the  rock  of  Truth 
not  to  fall  and  perish  at  the  first  great  temptation.  Ld; 
me  humbly  follow  in  the  paths  the  Master  trod." 

Even  as  he  spoke,   Judith  felt  the  wisdom  of  his 


396  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

words.  His  humility  taught  her  a  lesson.  She  seemed 
to  hear  the  voice  of  the  publican  crying  from  afar  off: 
"God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner."  Rising  from  her 
seat  she  extended  her  hand: 

"May  God  direct  you,"  she  said.  "May  that  Love 
which  passeth  understanding,  protect  and  purify  you. 
Rest  assured,  that  whether  as  prime  minister  or  as  the 
humblest  doer  of  good  in  Guelph,  your  counsel  and 
advice  will  ever  be  sought." 

He  sank  on  his  knee  and  bent  his  head  over  her  hand. 

"God  surely  has  this  kingdom  in  his  keeping,"  he 
said.     "Have  no  fear  for  its  future." 


CHAPTER  XXI 

GOD    GIVETH   THE   INCREASE 

In  the  great  hall  of  Oxley  House,  whose  splendid 
carvings  and  arched  ceiling  lent  to  it  an  air  of  massive- 
ness  and  grandeur  hardly  in  keeping  with  the  other- 
wise home-like  character  of  its  architecture  and  arrange- 
ment, were  gathered  the  leading  statesmen,  diplomats 
and  warriors  of  Guelph.  They  had  been  summoned 
hither  to  hear  the  first  message  of  their  new  queen. 

Because  of  the  rapidity  with  which  events  had 
transpired,  Judith  had  refused  to  take  up  her  abode 
in  the  palace  until  such  time  as  her  uncle  and  his 
wife  might  be  able  to  determine  upon  their  future. 
Early  this  Christmas  morning,  after  the  midnight 
scene  in  which  Albert  had  abdicated  in  her  favor,  she 
had  gone  as  quietly  as  possible  to  the  cathedral,  where, 
in  the  presence  of  all,  whether  great  or  small,  noble 
or  plebian,  lord  or  commoner  she  had  been  crowned 
by  Albert,  himself.  Then  she  had  returned  to  Oxley 
House  and  passed  the  remainder  of  the  morning  as 
narrated,  in  interviews  with  immediate  friends  and 
personal  callers. 

Later  she  had  spent  an  hour  with  her  ministers, 
during  which  time  the  existing  conditions  were  thor- 
oughly explained  to  her.  Those  of  the  ministers  not 
heretofore  personally  acquainted  with  her  association 

397 


398  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

with  her  father,  wondered  greatly  at  her  grasp  upon 
diplomatic  and  international  affairs.  Reports  were 
read  from  the  Guelphian  ambassadors  the  world  over, 
in  which  was  set  forth  the  gravity  of  the  situation.  One 
and  all  declared  that  there  was  no  reason  to  hope 
that  the  blow  would  not  soon  fall,  even  though  the 
nations  were  using  the  utmost  deliberation  in  perfecting 
their  plans. 

"It  is  simply  the  quiet  before  the  storm,"  wrote  the 
ambassador  to  Germany.  "As  the  avalanche  slowly 
forms  before  it  breaks  loose  from  its  long  resting  place 
and  moves  with  irresistible  force  down  the  mountain 
side,  crushing  and  obliterating  from  the  face  of  the 
earth  whatever  stands  in  its  way,  so  are  the  forces  of 
the  world's  powers  gathering  to  sweep  the  kingdom 
of  Guelph  off  the  political  map  of  the  world.  In 
America  and  Russia  alone  has  the  voice  of  public 
opinion  been  raised  against  the  destruction  which  now 
seems  inevitable.     Alas,  my  poor  country!" 

From  England  came  a  report  of  unmitigated  surprise 
at  the  rumored  abdication  of  Albert. 

"It  is  looked  upon  by  the  British  government,"  the 
ambassador  wrote,  "  as  the  last  suicidal  act  of  a  madness- 
stricken  people." 

Similar  reports  came  from  nearly  all  the  ambassadors 
— men  in  close  touch  with  those  at  the  head  of  the 
nations. 

During  the  reading  of  these  messages  the  young 
queen  sat  silent,  except  as  she  occasionally  interrupted 
with  a  question.  But  after  all  had  been  read  and 
Aukland  had  gravely  and  sadly  expressed  the  opinion 
that  among  all  the  nations  of  the  earth,  Guelph  had 


GOD  GIVETH  THE  INCREASE         399 

not  a  single  friend,  she  slowly  shook  her  head  as  she 
replied : 

"My  Lord,  I  think  you  mistake.  You  mean  among 
all  the  rulers.     The  people  have  yet  to  speak." 

The  ministers  looked  up  in  surprise. 

"And  what  think  you  will  cause  them  to  speak?" 
asked  Lord  Aukland. 

"The  message  of  love  which  we  propose  to  send 
them." 

Then  rising:  "My  Lords,  if  you  have  nothing  further 
to  offer,  I  would  be  alone.  I  have  yet  much  work  in 
preparing  the  message  which  I  have  been  selected  by 
the  people  to  send.  At  high  noon  I  shall  expect  to 
meet  you  all,  and  as  many  of  the  leaders  of  the  people 
as  can  assemble  in  the  great  hall." 

And  now  the  appointed  hour  has  arrived.  Now  the 
leaders  have  assembled  to  hear  what  is  to  be  the  mes- 
sage of  the  crown  to  the  nation  and  to  the  world;  the 
message  which  is  to  herald  the  policy  of  the  new  sov- 
ereign; the  message  which  shall  either  preserve  the 
integrity  of  the  realm  or  aid  in  its  dismemberment, 
by  laying  it  helpless  at  the  feet  of  human  greed  and 
avarice. 

Never  before  in  the  history  of  the  world  has  such  a 
message  been  given  out.  Never  before  has  one  been 
found  fearless  enough  to  deliver  it,  and  never  before, 
to  erring  human  sense,  has  the  world  been  less  pre- 
pared to  receive  it. 

But  to  the  illumined,  spiritual  sense  of  millions  of 
men  and  women  throughout  Christendom,  the  time  is 
opportune — for  these  millions  are  putting  their  trust 
in  God  and  they  know  in  whom  they  have  trusted 


400  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

Over  this  notable  assemblage  of  the  best  in  her 
kingdom,  a  solemn  silence  fell  as  the  young  queen,  clad 
in  a  gown  of  pure  white,  and  accompanied  by  her 
father  and  two  court  ladies  entered  the  hall.  In  her 
hand  she  bore  no  scepter.  On  her  head  she  wore  no 
crown.  Her  slight,  girlish  figure  seemed  even  slighter 
than  its  wont.  Her  wealth  of  golden  hair,  kissed  by  a 
sunbeam,  formed  a  halo  about  her  fair  face  which 
radiated  goodness,  gentleness  and  love. 

Attracted  by  her  wondrous  beauty,  every  eye  was 
fixed  upon  her.  Warmed  by  the  sunlight  of  her 
presence,  every  heart  beat  responsive  to  her  own. 
Without  a  tremor  she  ascended  the  steps  of  a  slightly 
raised  dais  and  faced  those  who  had  sworn  to  her  their 
allegiance  only  a  few  hours  before.  Not  a  sound 
broke  the  silence  within.  Only  the  distant  murmur 
of  the  crowds  without,  as  they  surged  back  and  forth 
about  the  portals,  could  be  heard. 

"My  Lords  and  gentlemen,"  she  began  in  a  rich 
musical  voice  that  could  be  heard  in  every  part  of  the 
hall.  "I  have  called  you  together  to  aid  me  in  giving 
my  first  message  to  the  world.  Unusual  as  it  may  be, 
I  have  faith  to  believe  that  it  will  be  understood  and 
received  in  the  same  spirit  of  truth  and  love  with  which 
it  is  being  given. 

"It  is  unnecessary  for  me  at  this  time  to  refer  to 
what  has  passed.  It  is  the  future  alone  which  con- 
fronts us.  I  know  not,  as  yet,  even  how  the  nations 
of  the  earth  look  upon  my  ascension  to  the  throne  of 
Guelph,  which  to  them  must  seem  tottering;  but  I 
believe  that  the  voice  of  God,  the  voice  of  omnipotent, 
divine  Love  has  called  me  to  this  work — work  which 


GOD  GIVETH  THE  INCREASE  401 

only  the  hand  of  a  woman  can  at  this  time  success- 
fully accomplish. 

"Of  the  character  of  the  message  I  am  about  to 
give  I  have  no  doubt,  nor  have  I  summoned  you  to 
discuss  it.  Rather  have  I  called  you  hither  to  advise 
you  of  the  manner  in  which  the  message  shall  be  sent; 
how  I  think  we  shall  best  accomplish  the  purpose  we 
have  in  mind  and  how  best  convey  to  the  people  of 
the  world  the  sincerity  of  the  message  which  my  people 
expect  me  to  send — the  message  of  love — the  message 
of  peace. 

"All  Christendom  today  is  rejoicing  over  the  birth 
of  one  whose  earthly  life  was  a  mission  of  peace  and 
love.  Even  as  the  mission  of  Jesus  was  misunderstood 
and  hatred,  envy,  malice  and  revenge  crucified  him  in 
the  attempt  to  silence  the  Christ-truth  and  destroy 
the  Christ-love  of  which  he  was  the  embodiment,  so 
may  the  world  today  try  to  thwart  the  mission  of  the 
Christ-thought  which  we  shall  send  out.  But  as  God 
— omnipotent,  divine  Mind,  was  able  to  render  power- 
less the  hatred  of  the  world  then — so  is  He  able  today 
and,"  with  the  greatest  emphasis,  "I  know  that  He 
will. 

"My  Lords  and  gentlemen,  I  have  in  mind  to  send 
to  the  nations  of  the  world  such  a  Christmas  greeting 
as  they  cannot  misunderstand.  I  have  in  mind  to  say 
to  them:  'Look.  The  people  of  Guelph,  disarmed, 
appear  before  you,  seeking  peace-  We  ask  that  you 
will  accept  our  attitude  as  a  gauge  of  friendship  and 
do  unto  us  as  you  would  be  done  by.' 

"But  I  would  also  say  to  the  world:  'While  we  have 
laid  aside  our  weapons  we  are  not  weaponless.     While 


402  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

we  have  razed  our  forts  and  destroyed  our  fortresses 
we  are  not  unfortified.  While  we  have  dismantled 
our  warships  and  thrown  their  armament  into  the  sea, 
we  are  not  unprotected.  While  we  stand  before  you 
unarmed  we  are  not  helpless;  for  we  are  defended  by 
the  sword  of  Truth  which  destroys  all  error  of  thought 
and  purpose.  We  are  fortified  by  our  understanding 
of  God  as  infinite  Life,  against  which  no  power  of  sin, 
destruction  or  death  can  prevail.  We  are  protected 
by  the  ceaseless  activity  of  divine  Love,  which  not  only 
surrounds  and  encompasses  us,  but  which  will  destroy 
in  your  hearts  all  that  is  unlike  itself  and  reveal  to  you 
the  infinite  Fatherhood  of  God.' 

"In  short  I  would  say  to  the  world:  'While  we  stand 
before  you  helpless  according  to  the  wisdom  of  men, 
we  are  invincible  in  our  understanding  of  the  one 
Mind,  which  man,  in  Christ,  reflects  and  radiates, 
and  the  omnipotence  of  which  has  already,  for  time  and 
eternity,  established  the  true  brotherhood  of  man — 
the  spiritual  harmony  which  none  can  disturb.' " 

She  paused  to  let  her  words  take  effect;  but  she  was 
hardly  prepared  for  the  interruption  which  followed. 
Unable,  even  yet,  to  comprehend  the  will  of  the  people. 
Sir  William  Moreland  exclaimed  impetuously:  "And 
do  you  really  intend  to  carry  your  words  into  effect.' 
Do  you  really  intend  to  destroy  your  fortifications, 
dismantle  your  ships  and  throw  your  guns  into  the 
sea?" 

Proudly,  yet  humbly  she  stood  before  them,  her 
girlish  form  drawn  to  its  full  height  and  her  fair  face 
aglow  with  light  of  that  Love  of  which  she  had  so 
earnestly  spoken.     Realizing  that  Sir  William  had  but 


GOD  GIVETH  THE  INCREASE  403 

voiced   the    thought    in  the  minds   of  all  she  replied: 

"With  your  assistance,  my  Lords  and  gentlemen,  I 
do.  I  wish  the  news  to  go  out  broadcast  to  the  world 
this  Christmas  day,  that  Guelph  has  been  the  first 
great  nation  on  earth  to  lay  aside  the  weapons  of 
carnal  warfare  and  to  plant  itself  unreservedly  on  the 
rock,  Christ,  Truth.  In  this  hour  of  national  peril,  when 
assailed  by  the  powers  of  darkness,  she  has  placed 
her  trust  in  omnipotent,  divine  Love;  and  with  an 
abiding  faith  in  the  power  of  good,  and  a  firm  belief 
in  the  justice  and  integrity  of  Christendom,  she  sub- 
mits her  case  to  the  courts  of  national  conscience — 
asking  only  that  the  nations  do  unto  her  as  they  would 
be  done  by." 

There  was  no  misunderstanding  her  words.  They 
were  clear  and  concise.  They  conveyed  no  double 
meaning,  and  as  though  to  support  her  in  the  position 
she  had  taken,  the  cheering  of  the  multitude  came 
faintly  but  distinctly  to  her  listeners'  ears. 

As  the  sound  reached  her,  she  threw  back  her  head 
with  an  imperiousness  born  of  a  conviction  of  right, 
and  in  a  voice  of  dignified  authority  exclaimed : 

"Gentlemen,  this  is  my  first  command  as  queen  of 
Guelph:  Let  every  ship  and  fortification,  every  regi- 
ment and  squadron,  every  sailor  and  soldier  in  the 
realm  be  at  once  disarmed.     I  leave  the  details  to  you." 

Then,  amidst  the  breathless  silence  which  followed, 
she  turned  to  the  prime  minister,  and  in  a  voice  which 
bespoke  neither  excitement  nor  doubt,  but  only  gentle- 
ness and  peace,  continued: 

"This  command,  my  lord  Duke  of  Lackland,  is 
our  message  to  the  world..    Will  you  see  that  it  is 


404  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

sent  without  delay;  only  adding:  'Let  us  have  peace.'  *' 

Thus  the  most  royal  edict  ever  uttered  by  an  earthly 
sovereign,  went  forth.  Like  wildfire  the  message 
spread.  Once  outside  the  assembly  hall  it  was  carried 
over  the  realm  with  the  rapidity  of  thought;  and  as 
fast  as  the  official  command  could  be  repeated  it  Was 
put  into  effect. 

Everywhere  the  message  was  received  with  demon- 
stration of  delight. 

As  once  before,  in  their  own  land,  John  and  Lucy 
had  noted  the  rapid  change  of  a  people  from  thinking 
war  to  thinking  peace,  so  now  again  they  watched  the 
changing  thought.  It  was  the  same  story  over  again. 
Although  national  conditions  had  in  no  wise  changed; 
although  preparations  for  blotting  Guelph  off  the 
map  of  the  world  by  the  other  powers  were  still  in 
progress,  the  people  of  Guelph  were  suddenly  trans- 
ported from  sadness  to  joy.  While  only  a  few  thousand 
in  the  kingdom  realized  with  scientific  certainty  the 
great,  spiritual  truth,  that  the  loving  thought  thus  sent 
out  must  find  lodgment  in  other  hearts,  the  mass  of 
the  people  were  intuitively  possessed  of  this  idea.  It 
was  immediately  accepted  as  a  foregone  conclusion 
that  this  unequivocal  proof  of  their  good  will  toward 
all  mankind  must  be  accepted. 

It  was  another  demonstration  of  man  in  God's 
likeness  claiming  his  birthright. 

But  how  about  the  other  nations  of  the  world  ?  How 
was  the  message  of  peace  on  earth  and  good  will  toward 
all  mankind  received  by  them? 

Even  while  the  young  queen  was  receiving  the 
congratulations    of    her    nearest    and    dearest    friends 


GOD  GIVETH  THE  INCREASE         405 

upon  the  step  she  had  taken,  the  message  was  flying 
across  the  sea. 

"Guelph  has  disarmed,"  it  read.  "Let  us  have 
peace." 

To  every  ruler  and  nation  it  was  sent,  and  with  two 
or  three  notable  exceptions  it  was  received  by  the 
rulers,  poUticians  and  mihtary  leaders  with  disbehef 
and  derision. 

"A  ruse!"  cried  some,  while  still  others  with  even  a 
more  hostile  thought  cried:  "Coward!" 

But  soon  the  press  reports  began  to  arrive.  Soon 
came  the  detailed  reports  of  the  scene  in  the  great 
assembly  hall.  Soon  came  the  full  text  of  Queen 
Judith's  speech,  and  the  real  thought— God's  thought 
— was  read  between  the  lines. 

Thought  now  being  rightly  directed,  millions  of 
men  and  women  trained  to  right  thinking  went  to 
work  with  renewed  faith.  Ever  since  Albert's  abdica- 
tion, scores  of  messages  signed  by  John,  Lucy,  Dorothy, 
Benton  and  others  had  been  sent  broadcast  over  the 
world  and  repeated  again  and  again.  Now  other 
messages  followed.  The  leaven  was  working.  Other 
Christian  thinkers,  with  their  thought  now  rightly 
directed,  began  to  commune  with  divine  Truth  and 
the  greatest  peace  society  ever  organized— the  church 
founded  upon  Truth  and  Love— began  to  give  practi- 
cal proof  of  its  utility.  For  years  it  had  been  elevating 
mankind  to  this  standard  of  thought,  and  now  it  was 
calling  upon  mankind  to  act  in  accord  with  that  higher 
understanding. 

The    rulers,   politicians    and    military    leaders   soon 
awoke  to  the  fact  that  it  takes  something  beside  guns 


406  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

and  warships  to  make  war.  It  takes  men.  But  when 
mankind  begins  to  awaken;  when  man  decides  to 
claim  his  birthright;  when  he  reaches  the  point  where 
he  perceives  that  it  is  just  as  natural  for  man  to  think 
good — to  think  peace,  as  it  is  for  the  sun  to  shine, 
then  he  loses  the  desire  for  war. 

All  that  mankind  needs  to  awaken  it  to  this  under- 
standing of  being  was  such  a  message,  with  such  proof 
behind  it,  as  that  sent  out  from  Guelph. 

And  so  it  was  that  to  Queen  Judith  and  the  friends 
who  were  watching  with  her  for  the  dawn  of  the  new 
day,  messages  of  congratulation  and  encouragement 
began  to  come  in  from  all  over  the  world. 

From  Zelandia  came  the  first:  "Well  done,  Queen 
Judith!"  it  said.  "Zelandia  welcomes  Guelph  into  the 
true  sisterhood  of  nations.  We,  two,  shall  soon  be  many." 

But  not  so  quickly  did  the  message  bring  a  reply 
from  some  of  the  other  nations,  although  everywhere 
it  was  kindly  received. 

In  Vaalmara,  King  Otto  and  a  cabinet  minister 
were  in  conversation  when  the  message  arrived. 

"  Ho !     Ho !"  laughed  the  king.     "  It  is  a  trick !" 

"No,"  said  the  minister,  "it  is  fear.  We  had  better 
declare  war  at  once  and  seize  whatever  we  can,  ere 
someone  outstrip  us." 

"Well  said,"  replied  the  king.  "Have  the  reichstag 
convened  at  once." 

Some  hours  later  the  king  again  met  the  minister. 
"What  think  you,"  he  said,  "a  delegation  from  the 
bourse  has  already  waited  upon  me,  to  urge  that  I  not 
only  agree  to  Guelph's  request  for  peace,  but  follow 
her  example." 


GOD  GIVETH  THE  INCREASE         407 

**That  is  nothing,"  exclaimed  the  minister.  "The 
streets  in  front  of  the  newspaper  offices  are  filled  with 
people  crying:  'Long  live  Queen  Judith  of  Guelph.' 
How  can  you  declare  war  in  the  face  of  such  sentiment  ?" 

Similar  scenes  were  being  enacted  in  all  the  large 
cities  of  the  world.  Even  among  the  people  who  had 
been  most  to  suffer,  the  message  of  peace  and  the 
announcement  of  the  practical  proof  that  the  message 
was  more  than  mere  words,  brought  a  sudden  change 
of  sentiment.  Ere  twenty-four  hours  had  passed,  while 
it  was  not  certain  just  how  far  the  changed  thought 
of  the  people  of  the  world  might  carry  the  sentiment 
toward  freely  forgiving  Guelph  her  seeming  trans- 
gression, it  was  evident  that  all  thought  of  taking  her 
national  life  had  disappeared. 

As  the  hours  passed  and  the  reports  became  more  and 
more  favorable,  the  people  of  Guelph  became  more 
and  more  jubilant  and  their  demonstrations  of  joy 
increased.  They  marched  through  the  streets  singing 
and  cheering  for  everyone  who  had  had  any  hand  in 
bringing  about  the  happy  result;  they  built  bonfires  and 
let  off  fireworks  and  they  thronged  the  newspaper 
offices,  reading  the  messages  and  bulletins  which  were 
displayed  as  fast  as  the  good  news  was  received  and 
given  to  the  press  by  the  duke. 

When  news  came  from  Vaalmara  that  the  reichstag 
had  voted  to  accept  Guelph's  action  as  proof  of  its 
sincerity,  the  populace  shouted  itself  hoarse.  When 
word  came  from  Eiland  that  the  congress  had  voted 
down  the  resolution  declaring  war,  and  almost  upon 
its  heels  the  news  of  similar  action  on  the  part  of 
Nippon,   men  fell  upon  each  other's  necks  and  wept. 


408  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

They  crowded  about  Oxley  House,  shouting  and  cheer- 
ing for  Queen  Judith,  until  she  was  obUged  to  show 
herself  on  the  balcony.  Then  they  shouted  and 
cheered  till  they  could  shout  no  more. 

Because  of  the  demonstration  of  the  people  and 
because  she  wished  to  more  fully  prepare  herself  for 
the  great  work  she  had  in  hand,  after  this  appearance 
Judith  determined  to  remain  in  strict  seclusion  and 
to  perform  only  such  routine  duties  as  were  forced 
upon  her  until  the  full  effect  of  her  message  upon  the 
nations  of  the  earth  could  be  determined.  Again,  as 
often  before,  she  remained  in  her  apartment,  in  com- 
pany only  with  her  father  and  her  most  intimate  friends 
and  advisers. 

It  was  approaching  midnight  on  the  second  day 
after  her  message  had  been  given  to  the  world.  In 
the  apartment  with  her  were  the  duke,  Lucy,  Dorothy, 
and  Sir  William.  In  an  adjoining  room  was  a  wire- 
less operator,  who  had  been  receiving  bits  of  news 
all  the  evening. 

"Here  is  a  message  for  you.  Miss  Howerton,"  said 
the  duke  as  he  looked  over  a  number  that  the  attendant 
handed  to  him. 

Dorothy  took  it  from  his  hand  and  as  she  read  a 
smile  spread  itself  over  her  face.  "It  is  from  President 
Daniels  of  the  American  Peace  Society,"  she  explained. 
"He  says:  'You  are  a  good  missionary.  We  have 
made  you  an  honorary  member  of  the  peace  society, 
whether  you  will  or  not.' 

"It  is  just  like  him,"  laughed  Dorothy.  "But  I 
should  think  instead  of  electing  me  a  member  of  his 
society,  he  would  join  ours." 


GOD  GIVETH  THE  INCREASE  409 

"I  think  he  is  already  a  member,"  replied  Lucy, 
"only  he  has  not  discovered  it." 

"He  surely  will  ere  long,"  said  Sir  William;  "and 
while  we  are  on  the  subject  I  might  as  well  admit  that 
I  am  a  candidate  for  admission.  Do  you  think  I  am 
eligible,  Mrs.  Winslow  ?" 

"All  are  eligible.  Sir  William,  who  are  willing  to 
turn  from  the  thoughts  of  war  to  thoughts  of  peace." 

"He  would  indeed  be  a  strange  man  who  would  not 
be  willing  to  do  that  after  the  wonderful  proof  we  have 
received  of  the  working  of  the  Golden  Rule." 

As  the  hours  passed,  there  was  one  message  for 
which  all  had  hoped,  but  for  which,  up  to  the  present 
all  had  looked  in  vain.  This  was  from  Luzonia,  the 
only  nation  which  had  actually  declared  war. 

To  be  sure  the  press  reports  had  told  of  the  reception 
of  Judith's  message  in  that  republic  and  how  the 
people  there  had  accepted  it  in  much  the  same  spirit 
as  that  in  which  it  had  been  received  elsewhere;  but 
there  was  nothing  official. 

"But  it  must  come,"  declared  Dorothy,  when  Sir 
William  later  on  expressed  a  sense  of  disappointment 
because  no  word  was  forthcoming.  "No  nation  can 
withstand  the  power  of  the  good  thought  that  is  now 
being  expressed  everywhere.  The  beam  of  the  scale 
has  tipped.  The  preponderance  of  thought  is  now 
for  peace.  Mankind  is  more  than  half  awake  to  the 
omnipotence  of  good." 

"And  the  eternal  truth  that  man  has  never  lost  his 
at-one-ment  with  the  Father,"  exclaimed  Lucy. 

Judith  was  about  to  reply,  as  the  attendant  entered 
with  another  handful  of  messages. 


410  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

"Here  is  something  right  in  line,"  said  the  duke  as 
he  glanced  them  hastily  over.  "  It  is  from  our  ambassa- 
dor at  Washington  and  says:  'Urged  by  public  senti- 
ment, congress  has  sent  a  message  to  Luzonia  suggest- 
ing the  wisdom  of  its  joining  in  the  action  taken  b^ 
the  other  interested  nations.' " 

"That  is  something,"  said  Sir  William. 

"Yes,"  replied  Judith,  "but  it  is  only  indicative  oS 
the  feeling  in  the  United  States  not  in  Luzonia." 

At  this  moment  John  entered  hastily.  In  his  hand 
was  an  open  message  and  it  took  but  a  glance  at  his 
smiling  face  to  tell  those  present  that  he  was  the  bearer 
of  good  news. 

"Congratulations,  Your  Majesty,"  he  exclaimed 
without  waiting  for  any  formality.     "It  has  come." 

"You  don't  mean — "  began  Judith  starting  from 
her  chair,  but  John  interrupted  before  she  could  proceed. 

"Yes,  I    do,"    he  exclaimed.     "It    is    from    Senor 

Aguerra,  the  Luzonian  ambassador;  and   while  sent 

through  me  as  a  compliment  to  my  official  position, 

is  for  you.     Listen!     I  will  read  it: 

To  Her  M.uesty,  Judith  Queen  of  Guelph — We  have  been 
couquered  by  love.    Let  there  be  peace! 


BOOK      THREE 


A  COROLLARY 


"No  war  or  battle's  sound 
Was  heard  the  world  around,** 

— Milton 


BOOK   THREE 

THINKING    PEACE 

Out  of  an  unclouded  sky  of  the  deepest  blue,  the 
sun  looks  down  upon  a  scene  of  peace.  Over  the 
sparkling  waters  and  the  verdant  plain,  the  swift 
carriers  of  commerce  are  rushing,  freighted  with  the 
product  of  field,  forest  and  factory.  The  marts  of 
trade  are  busy  with  that  business  which  comes  only 
with  the  prosperity  of  uninterrupted  labor  for  in  all 
the  wide  world  there  is  no  thought  of  war.  The 
navy-yards  are  silent,  the  arsenals  deserted.  In  place 
of  bugle  call  and  roll  of  drum,  is  heard  the  joyous  ring 
of  the  blacksmith's  hammer  beating  a  merry  tattoo 
upon  his  anvil,  as  he  fashions  the  plane  and  plowshare 
from  the  sword  and  armor  plate. 

Nowhere  in  this  scene  are  the  avenues  of  commerce 
blockaded.  Nowhere  are  the  affairs  of  mankind  con- 
gested with  thoughts  of  inharmony.  Nowhere  is  there 
a  lack  of  these  channels  through  which  the  streams  of 
love  may  broadly  run,  watering  and  refreshing  the 
great  throbbing  heart  of  humanity.  While  all  are 
striving  to  attain  the  summit  of  prosperity  and  happi- 
ness, no  one  is  trying  to  build  up  his  own  fortunes  by 
pulling  down  his  neighbor's  or  to  reach  this  summit 
over  the  ruins  of  another's  happiness.  It  is  such  peace 
and   prosperity   as   come   only   in   demonstrating   the 

413 


414  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

divine  Principle,  Love,  by  the  Golden  Rule.  It  is 
the  divinely  natural  outcome  of  thinking  peace. 

In  this  harmonious,  progressive,  restful  activity  the 
world  has  paused  for  a  brief  period  to  note  the  advance- 
ment— has  paused  to  contemplate  as  impersonally  as 
may  be  the  fruits  of  this  prosperity  and  to  give  thanks 
for  the  coming  of  peace — not  that  peace  which  marks 
simply  the  close  of  a  military  conflict,  when  the  thoughts 
of  all  are  saddened  by  the  memory  of  heroes  who  have 
fought  and  bled;  nor  yet  the  drowsy,  dreamy  peace  of 
the  mellow,  sunlit  field  and  shady  glen;  but  that  ener- 
gizing peace  that  is  found  in  the  midst  of  the  greatest 
activity,  giving  ardor  to  work  and  joy  to  the  worker — 
that  peace  which  is  the  outcome  of  a  knowledge  of 
the  one  Mind,  moving  and  governing  all. 

As  the  world  thus  pauses,  it  beholds  upon  the  moun- 
tains of  exalted  thought  "the  feet  of  Him  that  bringeth 
good  tidings;  that  publisheth  peace,"  for  the  kingdom 
of  Guelph  stands  as  this  messenger,  who  has  shown 
to  the  world  the  "glad  tidings  of  the  kingdom  of  God." 
Most  blessed  since  the  day  of  its  disarmament  has 
been  its  sovereign  and  its  people  for  "The  Lord  has 
made  His  face  to  shine  upon  them;  the  Lord  has  lifted 
His  countenance  upon  them  and  has  given  them  peace." 
Yea,  through  them  He  is  rapidly  giving  the  whole 
world  peace. 

The  picture  is  the  outgrowth  of  innumerable  provings 
that  "peace  hath  its  victories  not  less  renowned  than 
war."  Every  department  of  human  enterprise  bears 
the  mark  of  abundance  and  progression,  not  only  in 
the  growth  of  trade  and  commerce  but  in  the  closer 
relationship  of  man  to  man.     As  Alexander  the  Great, 


THINKING  PEACE  415 

through  the  might  of  arms,  made  Greece  the  master 
of  the  world;  so,  through  a  mightier  power,  has  Judith 
made  her  nation  mistress  of  the  great  heart  of  Christen- 
dom. She  has  conquered  with  love  every  people  with 
whom  she  has  striven.  All  hold  themselves  vassals, 
bound  with  the  silken  bonds  of  friendship,  and  all 
delight  t©  do  honor  to  that  queen,  who,  laying  aside 
every  carnal  weapon,  rested  her  cause  in  the  hands  of 
divine  Love — invincible  in  her  understanding  of  God 
as  Spirit,  and  man  in  His  image  and  likeness. 

For  her  part,  looking  upon  the  good  her  heroic  and 
righteous  act  has  accomplished,  Judith  cannot  help 
but  feel  within  her  purified  consciousness  the  fulfill- 
ment of  that  wonderful  promise:  "Blessed  are  the 
peacemakers;  for  they  shall  be  called  the  children  of 
God." 

Blessed  indeed  has  been  her  life  and  the  lives  of  her 
people  from  the  day  she  first  accepted  the  crown. 
True,  she  has  been  obliged  to  perform  arduous  tasks, 
but  the  work  has  never  been  tiresome,  never  irksome 
and  always  fruitful.  Day  by  day  and  year  by  year  as 
time  has  passed,  she  has  grown  into  the  stature  of  that 
womanhood  which  is  the  highest  t}^e  of  manhood. 
Not  uneasy  has  lain  her  head,  although  it  has  worn  a 
crown.  Indeed  so  lightly  did  that  crown  rest  upon 
her,  that  at  this  moment  she  has  laid  it  aside  for  the 
joys  of  home,  and  has  given  the  government  absolutely 
into  the  hands  of  the  people,  for  so  it  seemed  wise. 

Realizing  that  the  nation  is  best  governed  that  is 
least  governed,  she  has  ever  urged  the  passage  of  the 
fewest  laws  possible,  making  the  Golden  Rule — -the  law 
of  Love,  the  law  of  God — the  basis  of  all  legislation. 


416  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

Following  the  suggestions  of  John  Winslow,  she  con- 
tinually favored  such  enactments  as  would  bring  the 
affairs  of  the  nation  and  its  citizens  under  the  jurisdic- 
tion of  that  Court  of  Conscience  found  in  the  higher 
understanding  of  the  people.  The  result  was  most 
marked  and  the  Guelphians  slowly  but  surely  learned 
how  it  was  possible  to  love  one's  neighbor  as  one's  self. 
As  this  thought  became  more  and  more  fixed  in  their 
consciousness,  the  friction  in  trade  and  commerce 
became  less  and  less,  until  now  the  nation  is  self- 
governed — because  each  individual  is  self -governed. 
As  a  sovereign  was  no  longer  possible  where  all  were 
peers,  Judith  finally  laid  aside  the  crown  and  scepter 
and  Guelph  has  become  a  republic. 

Led  by  a  sovereign  whose  understanding  of  God  as 
divine  Truth  and  Love  enabled  her  to  rely  entirely 
upon  His  holy  word,  it  has  been  the  privilege  of  this 
people  to  let  its  light  so  shine  that  the  world,  seeing  its 
good  deeds,  has  glorified  the  Father  which  is  in  heaven. 
And  wonderful,  indeed  has  been  the  result.  Now  for 
the  first  time  since  the  record  of  human  events  began, 
is  the  world  able  to  realize  peace  as  an  established  fact, 
instead  of  a  condition  discernible  only  through  the 
inspired  sight  of  the  prophets. 

While  the  advent  of  peace  has  been  rapid,  it  has  not 
come  all  at  once,  nor  is  it  yet  perfected.  It  has  been  a 
gradual  but  activ^e  awakening;  a  continuous  develop- 
ment of  right-thinking  by  first  one  nation  and  then 
another.  To  give  the  exact  order  in  which  this  has 
been  accomplished,  would  be  impossible,  as  the  move- 
ment has  been  marked  by  easy  stages.  In  general, 
however,  it  may  be  said  that  as  the  world  began  to 


THINKING  PEACE  417 

note  the  great  commercial  growth  of  Guelph  and  began 
to  investigate,  discovered  that  this  government,  freed 
from  the  miUtary  burden  which  had  for  years  weighed 
it  down,  was  able  to  do  many  things  for  the  advance- 
ment of  its  citizens  it  had  never  before  been  able  to 
accomplish.  All  army  and  navy  expenses  having  been 
abolished,  millions  of  dollars  were  expended  upon 
public  highways,  public  institutions  and  other  public 
utilities  without  any  burden  whatever  to  the  people. 
So  much  less  were  these  expenditures  than  the  military 
expenses  had  been,  that  taxes  were  greatly  decreased, 
the  cost  and  exertion  of  living  were  greatly  reduced 
and  the  citizen  had  more  time  to  devote  to  his  moral, 
mental  and  spiritual  growth.  The  soldiers  and  sailors, 
instead  of  being  a  financial  burden,  now  became  pro- 
ducers and  the  wealth  of  the  nation  increased.  So 
rapidly  did  Guelph  forge  ahead,  that  in  order  to  com- 
pete with  her,  the  other  nations  were  obliged  to  reduce 
their  military  budget  to  appropriate  more  to  the  other 
departments  of  government. 

With  such  an  example  before  them,  it  did  not  take 
the  powers  of  the  earth  long  to  discover  that  a  navy 
was  a  veritable  "old  man  of  the  sea,"  while  an  army 
was  but  a  millstone  hung  by  fear  about  the  people's 
neck.  One  by  one  the  smaller  nations  followed 
Guelph's  example  and  disarmed,  while  the  larger 
nations,  by  mutual  consent,  gradually  reduced  their 
armament  to  the  minimum,  from  which  complete 
disarmament  is  but  a  step.  As  mortal  man  reckons, 
this  all  took  time;  as  reckoned  by  infinite,  divine 
Mind,  the  period  was  but  the  evening  and  morning  of 
a  day. 


418  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

With  the  world  thus  helped  by  its  loving  thought 
and  example,  and  with  hearts  overflowing  with  love, 
there  is  nothing  the  Guelphians  would  not  do  to  help 
others.  With  them  has  disappeared  all  thought  of 
strife  and  competition.  Love  reigns.  Their  only  aim 
now  is  to  reach  that  perfect  condition  of  self-government 
to  which  all  may  attain  without  in  the  least  interfering 
with  its  attainment  by  another — for  all  alike  may  obey 
the  command  of  the  Master  "Be  ye  therefore  perfect 
even  as  your  father  which  is  in  heaven  is  perfect." 

Thus  it  is  that  a  world-wide  peace  is  coming  simply 
and  naturally  as  the  result  of  right-thinking;  as  the 
result  of  knowing  God  as  omnipotent  and  omnipresent 
good,  and  man  in  His  likeness.  For  what  is  peace  but 
the  reflection,  by  man  and  the  universe,  of  that  har- 
mony which  comes  through  absolutely  obeying  the 
first  commandment  and  the  second  which  is  like  unto 
it.  That  harmony  which  is  found  through  the  under- 
standing that  there  is  but  one  Mind  and  that  all  spirit- 
ual individualities  reflect  it?  This  understanding  and 
its  demonstration  at  once  establish  the  universal  Father- 
hood of  God  and  the  brotherhood  of  men.  It  brings 
that  awakening  in  God's  likeness,  when  we  shall  behold 
His  face  in  righteousness. 

Righteous,  indeed,  must  be  the  people  which  dwell 
in  peace,  for  "the  work  of  righteousness  shall  be  peace; 
and  the  effect  of  righteousness,  quietness  and  assurance 
forever,"  exclaimed  the  prophet  of  Israel;  while  "the 
fruit  of  righteousness  is  sown  in  peace  of  them  that 
make  peace,"  declared  the  apostle.  Peace  is  coming 
to  the  world  as  the  result  of  this  righteousness — ^this 
right-thinking,    which  is  the   Shibboleth  of  scientific 


THINKING  PEACE  419 

Christianity.  The  world  is  being  led  info  it  by  the 
Spirit  of  truth  which  Christ  Jesus  said  should  "lead 
into  all  righteousness."  It  is  the  peace  of  which  he 
said:  "Peace  I  leave  with  you;  my  peace  give  I  unto 
you,  but  not  as  the  world  giveth,  give  I  unto  you." 

The  peace  which  comes  through  Christ,  Truth,  is  a 
lasting  peace;  yea,  that  peace  which  is  eternal  harmony 
— the  atmosphere  of  God. 

On  one  of  the  highest  mountain  peaks  in  the  western 
hemisphere  stand  four  persons  awaiting  the  dawn. 
Looking  eastward,  where  the  first  gray  streaks  may  be 
seen  in  the  far  distant  horizon,  they  behold,  through 
the  evening  shadows  which  are  rapidly  passing,  the 
coming  of  a  new  day.  Beneath,  the  world  is  peace- 
fully resting,  ready  to  start  into  life  and  activity  with 
the  appearance  of  the  sun. 

To  human  thought  these  four  are  the  personification 
of  successful  and  satisfied  age  and  expectant  youth — 
not  the  callow  youth  of  the  stripling,  but  the  vigorous 
youth  of  well  developed  manhood.  They  are  John 
and  Lucy  and  Judith  and  Tom.  By  all,  time  has  been 
recognized  for  what  it  is,  and  the  faces  of  all  are  fresh 
and  fair.  Their  exalted  condition  is  manifest  in  the 
patient  calmness  of  their  eyes,  while  the  snow-white 
hair,  which  wreathes  the  temples  of  the  elder  pair,  is 
whitened  not  by  age,  but  by  the  purity  of  their  thought 

Heralded  by  its  roseate  rays,  the  sun  slowly  ap- 
proaches the  horizon,  symbolical  of  the  coming  to 
human  consciousness  of  the  power  of  that  Soul  which 
governs  man;  that  Truth  and  Love  which  is  even  now 
illuminating  the  thought  of  the  world  with  the  light  of 


420  THE  PEACEMAKERS 

spiritual  understanding.  Then,  as  the  sun  suddenly 
bursts  upon  their  gaze,  an  exclamation  of  unbounded 
admiration  springs  to  their  lips. 

"Magnificent!"  exclaimed  Tom  as  they  watched  the 
glorious  orb  ascend  majestically  into  the  blue  empyrean. 

"Magnificent  as  this  dawn  appears,"  said  Lucy, 
"how  dim  in  comparison  it  must  be  to  that  day,  when 
God  said:  'Let  there  be  light,  and  there  was  light.* 
How  dim  as  compared  to  the  light  of  Mind  which  is  at 
this  moment  breaking  upon  human  consciousness." 

"True,"  replied  John,  "and  how  symbolical  of  the 
dawn  of  that  peace  of  which  the  world  is  now  having 
its  first  realization,  through  its  growing  understanding 
of  that  one,  infinite  God — that  one  Mind,  which  rebukes 
the  warring  impulse,  unites  the  nations,  and  enables 
all  to  implicitly  obey  the  commandment  to  love  our 
neighbor  as  ourself — that  God,  whom  to  know  aright, 
is  life  and  peace." 

"And  blessed  are  those  purified  thoughts  through 
whom  this  knowledge  has  come,"  declared  Judith. 
"They  have  indeed,  proved  themselves  'the  children  of 
God.'  " 

There  was  unbroken  silence,  while  into  the  heart 
of  each  flowed  the  sense  of  that  spiritual  blessing  which 
is  promised  to  all  who  make  peace. 

THE  END 


